


EXO Supernatural AU!

by BlueKhaos



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Love, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-07-28 21:05:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 50,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7656745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueKhaos/pseuds/BlueKhaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The reader encounters several supernatural creatures, all whom take an active interest in her. Ratings may go up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Scales (Suho)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! What's goodie? I hope life has been treating you all well. I decided that I wanted to do my own supernatural creature AU with EXO because it looked like a lot of fun. I'm planning to keep this series open, so I might have any number of chapters with this one. 
> 
> f/c = favorite color

Anxiety settled in the pit of your stomach as rough waves battered the side of your crew’s small fishing boat. The rain that poured from the darkened skies soaked you to the bone as lightning ripped throughout the air. It was nights like this when you had questioned as to why you decided to work as a fisherwoman. It was a demanding job that often left you exhausted and you weren’t quite sure how much money you would make for each catch, that’s if your crew caught anything period.

You had grown up as an orphan in a small town near coastal waters, not knowing who your parents were or if you had any other living relatives. As a child, you were known to keep to yourself and had very little friends at the orphanage. This of course did not stop you from getting into fights with other children who made fun of you or tried to take away the one or two cheap possessions that you had. You knew how to take care of yourself and yet, you had no other choice.

As soon as you turned eighteen, you left the dreary orphanage to your past and immediately began working odd jobs to support yourself. In a town as small as yours, it was wise to have low expectations for good job opportunities. Not surprisingly, the jobs that you had did not pay well and you had found yourself struggling to put food on the table.

Desperate for money and some type of peace of mind, you eventually ended up finding work as a fisherwoman. At first, the captain of the boat was very hesitant to hire a woman to do such a strenuous job, but seeing that no one else was lining up to take the job, he accepted you as an employee.

Initially, it was awkward being the only female in a small crew of seven. The men on your crew were much older and seasoned in the way of fishing. All had come from families of fishermen and knew the waters well like the back of their hands. You, on the other hand, had very little skills in fishing and had a terrible sense of direction.

Fortunately, time was on your side and over the next few years, you became a decent fisherwoman. The crew had become your family and the tiny boat that you worked on became a second home. For the first time in a long while, you were happy.

But good things never seem to last.

The wind whipped wildly against your body as you tried to maintain your balance on the rocky boat. The net that you and your crew had been using to catch fish had snagged onto something beneath the black waters on its way up, causing the boat to lean slightly on its side. Even worse, the fishing boat could not move from its place and it began to take on water at an alarming pace. The bilge pump itself was not in any better shape. It had difficulty draining out the water that repeatedly made its way onto the boat.

You and the crew had been through many storms and rough waters, but the ferocity of this storm was on another scale. Many times, you weren’t sure you’d make it back home, but your crew reassured that all would be fine. They knew how to handle these situations and thankfully, you all made it back every time.

Sadly this time, you knew you would be the one who was correct.

The boat’s light illuminated the forms of your fellow fishermen and you could only see the fear that you felt reflected in their faces. They knew that they were going to lose their lives and you could do nothing to comfort them.

The lights on the boat began to flicker, causing you to panic. It was already bad enough that you could not distinguish the sky from the sea and your boat sat in the middle of nowhere. Distracted by the blinking light, a large wave crashed into your side of the boat, causing you to stumble and fall over the railings.

Time seemed to slow as you felt yourself being consumed by the obsidian waves. You couldn’t see anything, your source of light now gone from the boat. The currents of water tossed you throughout the raging sea like a ragdoll and you could not tell the difference between up and down, left and right. The oxygen that your lungs craved for was slowly being replaced by water and you knew this was the moment you would die.

Your thoughts disintegrated into fragments of nothingness and your eyes began to close shut as your body embraced the darkness that it had drowned in.

~~~~~~

The feeling of scorching heat dancing on your flesh caused you to groan quietly as you slowly began to open your eyes. You were met with the sight of a cloudless cerulean sky and a brightly lit sun that had no intentions of making you comfortable. Still in a daze, you sat up sluggishly, only to realize that you were sitting in a small inflatable life raft.

Surprise taking a hold of you, you looked around wildly to see nothing but water for miles. Your breathing became rapid when you could not find any land or signs of life around you.

You were all by yourself.

On the verge of hyperventilating, you tried to steady your breathing and recall all the survival strategies that your fellow fishermen had taught you, but your mind kept drawing up blanks. Your eyebrows then furrowed when your thoughts shifted to your crew.

What happened to the boat? Did any of them survive? Are they looking for you? Several questions ran through your brain, but none could be answered. You wanted to stay positive and hope for the best, but the sinking feeling in your gut told you otherwise. Finally, your thoughts landed on how you reached inside the life raft.

All you could remember was being tossed around in a stormy sea and passing out from the lack of air, so obviously it was not of your doing. What if one of your crewmen saw what happened and released a raft in hopes that you got to it, but it still didn’t make sense as to how you got into the raft when you were unconscious. Or maybe, fate was in your favor and miraculously allowed the waves to toss you into the inflatable raft.

You laid back down in exhaustion. It was a possibility that the sun was melting your brain, causing you to draw up silly theories as to how you survived. Even worse, how were you actually going to continue surviving? You had no food or water as well as no protection from the sun. At this point, you were in the middle of the ocean just waiting to die.

_‘It would have been better if I just drowned…’_

~~~~~~

Two days had passed and even though your raft drifted on the ocean’s currents, you seem to remain in the same place. The sun continued its relentless attack and your body had suffered.

The pain radiating from your sunburnt skin was a constant reminder that you were still alive, surrounded by a watery hell. The night was your only relief from the midday sun, but the relentless feeling of starvation and dehydration would remind you of your suffering.

Clutching at your chest tightly, you closed your eyes shut to prevent the stinging tears from falling down your darkened cheeks. Your chest heaved harshly as loud sobs left your cracked lips. You were tired of this mental and physical anguish and you begged for every force in the universe to let you die. You were so caught up in your emotions, that you barely registered a gentle bump against your raft.

The second bump was much harder.

Quickly stifling your sobs, your body froze when you felt another bump accompanied by loud splashing. Your heart sped up as dread gripped you tightly. Did your raft come across a shark or some other large sea creature looking for food? Millions of thoughts raced through your hazy mind, but suddenly came to a halt at an unexpected sound.

“Hello?” came the sound of a gentle voice.

Were things so bad that you were now beginning to hear voices? You frowned when you heard the voice once more.

“Are you still there? Are you alright?”

Taking a deep breath, you sat up from your lying position and peered cautiously over the side of your raft.

A shaky gasp left your parched throat as you tried to fathom the sight before you. There in the water was the most handsome man that you had ever seen.

At least that’s what you had believed.

Webbed fingers delicately ran through wet brown hair as the man pushed back his hair in an attempt to look more presentable. His features were soft and youthful and full of boyish charm, but a strong neck and broad shoulders made you believe that he was much older. As you raked your bloodshot eyes over his gentle face, you thought that the frown etched into his face did not suit him.

“I guess I’ve finally lost it,” you said as you gripped the side of the raft tightly. “I’m really seeing things.”

“What are you talking about? I’m just as real as you are,” replied the man, concern laced in his voice.

“No you’re not. My brain is so exhausted and lonely, it probably just conjured you up in an attempt to keep me sane,” you countered.

“I can assure you that I am indeed real,” said the man as he tried to convince you. “You’re not well, miss. Please let me help you.”

You laughed weakly. No one could help you. There wasn’t a soul for hundreds or thousands of miles.

“Okay, since I have nothing to lose, let’s see where this conversation takes me,” you said causing the man in the water to grow confused. “If you are truly real…um…”

“Junmyeon,” spoke the man delicately, wary of your slurred speech.

“Oh, thanks. If you are truly real, prove it to me,” you smirked, thinking that you had already won the game against your delusional brain.

Without a word, Junmyeon swam closer to your raft. As he lifted an arm out of the water, you noticed that beautiful blue scales decorated the outside portion of his limb. You were so mesmerized by how they sparkled in the sun, that you almost missed the sensation of a wet hand carefully holding yours.

Your eyes quickly shifted to the hand that held yours, shock crossing your face when you realized that you could actually feel the warmth and wetness of his webbed hands. You then turned your head back towards the man who was smiling at you sadly.

“I told you I was real.”

Before he could blink, you snatched your hand away from his swiftly. You let out a hoarse scream and scrambled far away to the other side of the raft. It was the first time in a few days that you had any energy and you realized that you now wanted to live.

Swimming swiftly under your raft to reappear on the side where you now sat, Junmyeon spoke hurriedly.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. You wouldn’t listen to me, so I thought touching your hand would get you to believe me.”

“W-what are you? A siren?” you asked fearfully, remembering the late night conversations with your crew about the mythological creatures. You had enjoyed the tales, thinking that they were nothing but myths to scare people, but to see one in person filled you with fright.

“Please do not call me that,” Junmyeon retorted, a small pout on his face. “Those creatures are foul and live for nothing but death and destruction.”

“Then what the hell are you?” you questioned, not really concerned about the difference between him and a siren.

“I believe you humans call us merpeople, so I suppose that would make me a merman.”

“So, what? Are you going to kill me? Are you going to sing to me and lure me to my watery grave?” you asked with a little mockery in your strained voice. It seemed like the forces in the universe wanted to test your very nerve.

Slightly exasperated by your behavior, Junmyeon shook his head.

“No, considering that I saved you when you fell overboard,” Junmyeon replied somewhat sassily. “I can also sing, but I would do it only if I could make you smile.”

Ignoring that last statement, you looked at the merman in confusion.

“Y-you were the one that save me?” you stuttered. It would explain how you got into the raft, but how he actually got the raft from your boat was a mystery. Your eyes lit up when you thought about your crew. “My crew. Did you see my crew?”

Breaking eye contact, Junmyeon frowned. Seeing his expression, you felt stupid for getting your hopes up.

“I couldn’t save them,” came his answer. “The storm was too tumultuous and I was swimming alone.”

A shaky sigh left your mouth as you tried not to cry for the second time that day, but you knew you would break down sooner or later. Junmyeon swam closer to the raft, feeling that it was safe to approach you.

“I want to help you. In fact, I will whether you want it or not,” Junmyeon said as he tried to comfort you. “Please don’t give up.”

You looked at him, still unsure of whether you should trust the strange merman.

“I really don’t have a choice do I?”

“I’m afraid not,” Junmyeon smiled softly. “I’ll bring you food and water.”

“Do whatever you want,” you said as you leaned your body against the raft. “Just don’t be surprised if I’m dead before then.”

“Don’t be so negative. I’ll be back by nightfall,” Junmyeon said, wanting to reach out and touch you again to reassure you. “I won’t let you down.”

Staring at the merman, a sudden thought crossed your mind.

“How will you find me? My raft is always drifting.”

Junmyeon smiled at your innocent question.

“I have my ways.”

Before you could ask him anything more, he quickly dove into the ocean’s depths, causing you to catch a glimpse of his brilliant blue tail. 

Night had finally fallen upon the vast ocean, providing the relief that you so desperately needed from the sun. The cool breeze of the night air had relaxed your body and you had begun to doze off. Before you could fall asleep, a familiar voice called you from the waters.

“Miss? Are you awake?” Junmyeon called out. “I have food for you.”

“Yeah…I’m still awake,” you answered sleepily. Looking over the edge, you could see Junmyeon’s form outlined by the moonlight. You thought he looked beautiful before, but the droplets of water that glistened on his smooth skin caused your face to heat up.

“Here, take this,” the merman said as he pulled something closer to your raft.

You saw that he had a sack of some sorts, one that appeared to be water resistant. Reaching over the edge, you used all your remaining strength to pull the sack into the raft. After looking at it for a few moments, you untied the string to find some coconuts and several palm tree leaves wrapped securely around something that smelled heavenly. Picking up one of the palm tree wraps, you pulled the leaves away to reveal a large cooked fish. You damn near drooled at the sight of the food.

“How on earth did you cook this fish?” you asked immediately, although you were more concerned with devouring the fish.

“I’ll tell you in due time,” Junmyeon laughed, entertained by your inquisitive nature, “but you need to eat.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” you responded before eating the fish. A long moan rumbled in your chest as the taste of meat hit your taste buds. The satisfaction of having a long-awaited meal placed you in a blissful state.

“I already made holes in the coconuts for you, so all you need to do is pull out the cork,” Junmyeon added, feeling a sense of pride for making you happy.

“Where did you find corks to plug up the coconuts?” you mumbled as you wolfed down the rest of the fish.

“A lot of old ships on the ocean floor have bottles,” Junmyeon explained. “I take it humans like to drink a lot?”

You giggled slightly at his question.

“A lot of us do. I mean I like to drink too, but my tolerance isn’t much good.” As you pulled out a coconut to quench your thirst, you asked him another question. “Do merpeople drink too?”

“We have our own drinks,” Junmyeon said with a wink, “but they might be too strong for humans.”

“Oh, really now? I’d like to try one of those drinks,” you joked before drinking the faintly sweet coconut water.

“I’ll think about it,” Junmyeon smiled. “Um…I never got your name.”

“It’s Y/N.”

“That’s a beautiful name…Y/N,” Junmyeon replied as he tested out your name.

Smiling shyly, you thanked the merman before picking up another piece of fish. The rest of the night went smoothly and you were absolutely grateful for the meal that Junmyeon had brought. Never in your many years did you think you’d ever receive help from a merman, a creature that you initially thought was nothing more than a legend.

Before falling asleep that night, Junmyeon had mentioned that there was a small island not too far from where you both were. He promised to take you to the island since you would be much safer there than in the open water. For now, he would hunt for food during the morning and push your raft to the island during the cool evening hours. You were curious as to where he went during the afternoon, but decided against asking him since he had already done so much for you.

You asked Junmyeon how you could repay his kindness, although you literally had nothing to your name. Instead, the merman gave you his trademark smile and told you to repay him in stories about life on land. From that moment, you were convinced that he was there to save you.

Over the next few days, you and Junmyeon followed the routine he had established. He would bring you food in the morning and at night while you slept, he would push your raft towards the island that he had mentioned. In exchange, you would tell him stories about your life on land and your childhood. Although the details of your life were at times painful and sometimes boring, Junmyeon always seemed to be absorbed in your tales. You couldn’t hide the delight that you felt when his brown eyes lit up in excitement every time you told him something new.

There was also something that began to intrigue you during the journey to the island. In addition to the food and water that he brought to you every morning, he would often bring little gifts.

The morning after you had made your plans, you had woken up to some large palms leaves covering the top of your small raft from edge to edge. It was a pleasant surprise, but you wondered how they had gotten there. Carefully pushing them aside and placing them to rest more on the raft bottom, you looked over the edge to see Junmyeon waiting with an adorable smile. After greeting you, he presented you with more food including a small jar. He had mentioned that there was a special ointment in the jar that would heal your sunburnt skin.

The second morning, you had woken up well-rested. The palm leaves had shielded you from the sun’s rays and the ointment had begun to heal your skin much faster than you had anticipated. Once again, you pushed aside the palm leaves and searched for Junmyeon over the edge of the raft. Not surprisingly, Junmyeon was already there, greeting you with a “Hello, princess” that caused a small skip in your heart’s rhythm. When you had received your breakfast from the merman, he also gifted you with a colorful shell bracelet.

The third morning, the same thing happened. You received your food and another lovely trinket from Junmyeon, but what surprised you the most was when he began to sing for you. Never have you heard a voice so smooth and filled with emotion. You were so entranced by his song, that you had failed to notice the smile that formed on your lips. Junmyeon, on the other hand, did. It seemed like his serenade had worked.

The third day had passed and the next morning had arrived. You had slept soundly and comfortably in the safety of your raft, until the sound of something unfamiliar broke your slumber. Shifting slightly, you slowly opened your eyes to see the palm leaves above your head. You were somewhat dazed as sleep took its time to release you from its embrace until you realized the sounds that you had been hearing were that of seagulls.

_‘Wait…did we reach the island?’_

With excitement pumping through your veins, you hastily pushed the leaves aside to see that your raft had been placed upon a sandy shore. Shielding your eyes, you looked up into the morning sky to see a flock of seagulls flying and cawing above you. A grin grew on your lips and you clambered clumsily towards the edge of your raft. Standing was a bit of a challenge since you had been sitting for days, but eventually you were able to get out of the raft.

A long groan left your lips as you stretched out your arms and legs. The sensation felt so amazing, you swore you would cry from utter bliss. You were also glad that you were much healthier and no longer had sunburns. After a few minutes of stretching, you realized that Junmyeon wasn’t around. Walking near the edge of the beach, you looked for any signs of the merman.

“Junmyeonnn!” you called out, hoping he had heard you, but there was no response. “I guess he’s out hunting.”

You wanted to wander for a bit and discover what was on the small island, but you decided to stay near the raft and wait for Junmyeon’s return. Sitting on the sandy shore, you pulled your knees up to your chest and stared out at the blue horizon before you. After a few more minutes, you saw the Junmyeon’s blue tail in the distance.

Standing up and brushing the sand from your skin and shabby clothes, you walked into the shallow water to wait for your friend. You figured he would need assistance since it would be difficult for him to reach the sandy shore.

Or so you thought.

Waist deep in the water, you greeted Junmyeon who approached you cheerfully with his sack of food.

“Morning, Junmyeon!” you chirped. “Let me help you out.”

“Don’t worry, princess. I can handle it,” Junmyeon replied.

“Are you sure? I know it wasn’t easy getting me on the shore this morning,” you said.

A soft chuckle left the merman’s lips and you felt yourself grow flustered at the action.

“Do you want to see I managed that feat then?” Junmyeon asked, mischief lurking in his voice.

You swallowed thickly at his playful tone.

“Show me.”

Beaming brightly at you, Junmyeon closed his eyes as the water around him began to bubble. Slightly alarmed, you backed away slowly to give him room. Suddenly, the glassy water surged up around Junmyeon, placing a watery barrier between you and the merman. The water around him glowed so brightly, that you had to shield your eyes from the light.

Once the light had died down, the feeling of water shifting away from your body confused you momentarily. Removing your arm from your face, you glanced at your bare feet only to find another pair in front of yours. Frowning slightly, you lifted your head and you swore that you had stopped breathing.

Inches away from your face stood a smiling Junmyeon. It was a strange feeling, being so close to the handsome boy, but you welcomed it gladly. You watched as his dark brown eyes roamed over your face, like he had never seen you before.

“You’re beautiful,” Junmyeon whispered as he placed a hand that was no longer webbed on your cheek. The action caused you to look away coyly.

“Junmyeon…”

“Come, princess. You must be starving,” Junmyeon said dropping his hand to grab yours and proceeded to pulled you towards the shore. You were so distracted by his appearance that you failed to notice the water that had been parted flooded swiftly back into its original place.

Junmyeon was slightly taller than you and although his frame was slender, he was quite robust.  Iridescent robes matching the blue scales that graced the sides of his limbs, draped around his body loosely as it displayed his upper body teasingly. The cerulean shendyt that clung to his hips almost reminded you of the kilt-like garbs that the ancient Egyptians had worn. He was exquisitely dressed, but the thing that fascinated you the most was the elaborate pieces of jewelry that he wore.

Silver rings, some with gems graced his fingers while several intricate shell necklaces hung around his neck. The most outstanding piece was the pastel blue crown sitting on top his messy brown hair. Five pale blue scallops shells decorated with topazes and diamonds graced the front portion of the crown while long white turritella shells stood directly behind them. Lastly, three links of small silver chains that hung from the bottom of his crown rested on the middle of his forehead.

Once you both reached the shore, Junmyeon left the sack of food with you and went searching for some wood and coconuts. For the meantime, you grabbed one of the palm leaves from your raft to use as a makeshift table. Once that was done, you looked for rocks and other materials to build a fire. 

Soon enough, both you and Junmyeon had a fire going and began cooking the fish that he had caught. Silence permeated the air, but the two of you were anything but uncomfortable. As both of you ate your meals, you decided to ask him a question that had been bothering you.

“Junmyeon…is there something you would like to tell me?” you asked as you took a bit out of your fish.

Chuckling at your question, he nodded.

“There are many things that I wish to tell, but I want to know which aspect intrigues you the most.”

You grew a little embarrassed, not expecting him to give you an obscure type of answer. You decided to get straight to the point.

“Are you some kind of royalty?”

“I am,” Junmyeon answered truthfully.

“Um, okay. What is your title?” you asked, showing more interest in the topic.

“I am the Crown Prince of the Crystalline Empire.”

Your eyes widened in disbelief. Not only was he a prince, but a prince to an entire empire rather than that of a kingdom. It was quite overwhelming that you had been rescued by a prince and you suddenly felt small in his presence.

“Exactly how big is your empire, might I ask?” you asked quietly.

“It stretches across the entire Pacific Ocean,” Junmyeon replied, noticing your nervous demeanor. “Y/N, you have no reason to fear me. You are safe with me and I will continue to protect you.”

“I know and I trust you with my life,” you admitted, placing down the stick that now held the bones of the fish that you had eaten, “but why did you stay with me for so long? I could imagine how much of a pain I’ve been and your family and friends must have been worried about you.”

“Because I wanted to. You needed help and I don’t like to see others suffer,” Junmyeon said as he secretly admired your shy behavior.

“I know, but I’m pretty sure you have plenty of responsibilities,” you answered, as if trying to convince him that you weren’t worth his time.

“Yes, I do and you are one of them,” Junmyeon grinned when you looked at him quizzically.

“What?”

“Let me share something with you,” Junmyeon began. “I am also known by another title. My allies and enemies alike call me “Prince Suho” or “The Guardian Prince” because I am known to fiercely defend those who I care about. When anyone enters these waters, whether human or merpeople, I become their protector because I believe in preserving the goodness that is in this world.”

“Wow…” was all you could say after hearing his remarkable speech. The prince was quite the impressionable person and you began to realize how much you truly liked him.

“So, let me be your guardian, alright?” Junmyeon reassured.

“Okay, Junmyeon,” you replied. “So, how will we do this? I mean I know you have things to do. Maybe we could build some type of hut here and you could visit me…”

Placing a finger under your chin, he lifted your head to face him.

“Come away with me and be my princess.”

You stared at him, trying to register what he had just said.

“What did you just ask me?”

Junmyeon chuckled, but he had all intentions of making himself clear.

“I want you to be my princess. I want to share my world with you and be there to keep you safe.”

“But how? I’m a human and what if I’m not accepted?”

“There is a potion that is known to transfigure merfolk into other creatures permanently. There also have been rare instances where humans had come into contact with us and have been transfigured into merpeople themselves.”

“Really?” you asked the prince.

“Yes, princess and I might have mentioned you a few times to my parents,” Junmyeon added as he stroked your chin.

Your jaw dropped at his admission and you scrambled to find a reply. This was all happening so fast.

“What did you say? What do they think about me?” you asked rapidly.

“I told them about your situation and the interactions that we had over the past few days. They are willing to meet with you if you are interested.”

“I guess that can be arranged,” you laughed nervously, deciding that you would leave this island with Junmyeon. “So the potion…how does it work?”

“You will have to drink the entire content of the potion, but I will warn you, there is a downside to it.”

Swallowing thickly, you mustered up the courage to ask him your next question.

“And what is the downside to this?”

“You will have to drown first before you can turn,” Junmyeon said slowly, a bit worried that you would change your mind.

Your mind went blank as you recalled the night that you had almost drown in the tumultuous sea. You shuddered, when you thought about the painful feeling of water filling your lungs and how your head felt like it would explode from the lack of air. The worse part of it was that you were all alone in the inky blackness of the ocean.

As if sensing your thoughts, Junmyeon pulled you into a warm hug and ran a hand through your knotted hair. Wrapping your arms around his torso, you buried you face into his shoulder for comfort.

“Why do I have to drown?” you mumbled timidly.

“To truly be one with the sea, you must embrace it in every fiber of your being. Water is known to be a force to be reckon with. It is capable of terrible destruction and unfortunately, many lives are lost to it. At the same time, water is known to give life and beautiful to this world. Without it, we would all cease to exist.”

“So, this is more about balance?” you asked, slowly accepting the hand that you would be dealt.

“Exactly. In order for you to have access to this new world, you must be willing to sacrifice your life in the old one. In return, you will be granted with all the powers that the ocean sees as fit for you to have.”

“If that is the case, I will go with you,” you decided, “but I ask that I have one day to say goodbye to my former life.”

“I will give you all the time you need,” Junmyeon said understandingly. He could only imagine how hard difficult this decision was for you.

The rest of the day had been spent talking about his home life and the people who were dear to him. His tales left you thrilled, knowing that you would soon experience a life that was drastically different from the one you currently had. Before returning back to the sea, Junmyeon explained that he would bring you the potion, adding that he would stay with you all throughout your transformation. He promised that after everything was over, he’d make you the happiest mermaid in all of the sea.

~~~~~~

Junmyeon didn’t visit you the next day, wanting to give you the time that you needed for yourself. You spent this time reminiscing over your life, including the friends that you had lost at sea.

Lounging in the inflatable raft, you watched as the clouds floated by merrily. The scenery before you was peaceful and filled with shades of blue, a stark contrast to the monotone life that you had lived. Although you had always struggled to get by, not everything was so bad. The few friends that you grew up with at the orphanage were good to you. Some had found decent work in other towns or cities and others got married and started families. You had always wanted a family of your own, but were never blessed with that opportunity.

That was until Junmyeon asked you to come with him. You were quite curious as to how that aspect of merpeople life worked, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

As for the crew that you missed dearly, you still never had the proper chance to mourn them. They had been hard working men with wonderful families and it was hurtful to know that their families would never see them again. You wondered briefly if the Coast Guard had been looking for you and your crew. You at least hoped that they could find some piece of the wreckage in order to give their families some kind of closure.

Wiping your tears at the thought, you stood up and climbed out of the raft. You wanted to make some kind of tribute to six members of your crew, so you set out to look for some sticks and rocks to create a makeshift grave. After about twenty minutes of searching the island, you found the materials that you needed.

Finding a perfect spot under a shady palm tree, you began the tedious task of creating the grave. One by one, you lifted the medium-sized rocks and piled them one on top of the other. After you had finished the hour long job, you began to use small strips of palm leaves to tie the two large sticks together in the shape of a cross. Once you felt the sticks were secure, you placed the cross at the top end of the rock pile and made sure that it stood up well. You were finally finished with the grave, but you felt something was still missing.

Looking at one of the trinkets that Junmyeon gave you, you took it off your wrist and placed it on the cross to hang. Taking a few steps away from the grave, you looked at your creation with a sense of satisfaction. All you needed to do now was to give a small eulogy.

 “I’ve never done one of these speeches before, so I ask you guys to bear with me. I know our time together was brief, but I just wanted to thank you all for the things that you have done for me. You all know that I didn’t have the best life, but because of the six of you, you made me someone today. We might have had a lot of tough times on the water, but they were worth it because of you all. You were my family…and honestly, I miss you all terribly.”

Sobs wracked your body as you struggle to calm yourself to finish your speech.

“I wish I could have helped you guys, even if it wasn’t much. All I could remember is just seeing how scared you all were that night and it hurt to know that I could do nothing and because of that, I’m really sorry,” you cried out as you fell to your knees in front of the grave. “Still, I want you to know that I’ll always remember you guys and I promise to visit this place. I also know it’s not much, but I left you all a trinket that someone I care about gave me. His name is Junmyeon and he was the one that saved me that night. Ever since, he’s been taking care of me.”

Wiping your face with you raggedy shirt, you continued speaking.

“He would bring me food and every day while I was at sea and he would also bring me these cute trinkets. They gave me a sense of peace while he was gone and so I wanted the six of you to have one. I hope that it can be useful so that wherever you all are, that the six of you might have some peace. So for now, I say farewell and let nothing else trouble your souls.”

After staying in the same spot for several more minutes, you got up and dusted the sand from yourself. Looking at the grave one last time, you walked away and used the time you had left to prepare for your new life with Junmyeon.

As quickly as the moon has risen and set, the sun was just as eager to make its way back into morning sky. You barely got any sleep since eagerness and anxiety had been too busy dancing along your nerves. As you stood there watching the tranquil waves on the sandy shore, you saw the familiar blue tail of Junmyeon. Summoning up your courage, you walked into the water until it was a bit above your waist.

“Hello, Junmyeon,” you greeted with a nervous smile.

“Hello, princess,” Junmyeon said as he swam closer to you. “I hope you slept well. You have a big day ahead of you.”

“Honestly, I didn’t sleep well, but I’m still ready to do this,” you admitted.

“I believe in you,” Junmyeon beamed before presenting you with a small glass vial. Inside it was a luminous pink liquid, almost reminding you of a fruity drink you once had.

Taking the vial, you pulled the cork and looked at Junmyeon for support. After receiving an encouraging nod from the prince, you tilted your head back and drank every drop of the pinkish liquid. A few seconds went by before you heard a strange, but enticing hum coming from the sea. It was rather odd, as if the ocean itself were calling out to you.

“I’m ready…” you said preparing yourself for the next step.

Taking one of your hands, both you and Junmyeon swam out to a deep part of the sea before going under.

Holding you softly around the waist, Junmyeon kept your body secure to prevent you from floating up to the surface. A sense of calm washed over you and you rested your hands on his chest. Colorful fish swam around you, busy with their own lives as spectacular reefs rested on the ocean floor. Being under the crystal blue water with rays of light breaking through the surface was almost magical. Best of all, you were with Junmyeon and you felt nothing but love and tranquility in that very moment.

Turning your head to face Junmyeon, you both locked eyes and you felt blissfully overwhelmed by the affection that he held for you. You both smiled, elation spilling from the two of you as you both anticipated the special experience that you would be sharing together.

And knowing that he’d still be there when this was all over gave you the courage that you needed to take that first breath of water.

Your eyes widened in agony as the familiar feeling of burning filled your lungs. Your body could not control itself, inhaling more water in a desperate attempt to find oxygen. Sharp, stinging pain radiated throughout your skull as if it were being pinpricked by small needles. You thrashed violently as your body fought to live, but Junmyeon had gripped you tighter by bringing your body closer to his. As black spots ebbed at the corners of your vision and your senses began to fail you, you were unaware of the myriads of bubbles that began to surround your body.

And just like that, you had suffered one of the most agonizing deaths in existence.

That was until the feeling of absolute euphoria slammed back into your lungs and you could breathe again. Gasping silently, more water flooded into your body and it felt so delicious. As you tried to regain your breath, you felt a webbed hand stroking your cheek softly. Turning your head to face the owner, you were overcome with joy when your eyes landed on Junmyeon.

_‘I thought you were stunning before, but you’re just as lovely as a mermaid,’_ Junmyeon said although his mouth did not move.

_‘We can talk…with our thoughts?’_ you asked, giddiness radiating from you.

_‘Of course,’_ Junmyeon replied proudly. _‘We can do a lot of things and I can’t wait to teach them all to you, but first you should have a look at yourself.’_

Curiosity now taking over, you swam back instinctually with your new tail and took a glance at your new body.

Your hands were now webbed like Junmyeon’s and shimmery f/c scales traveled along the outside part of your arms. You realized that you were topless, leaving you a bit flustered until your eyes landed on the large tail that had now replaced your legs.  

They were cover in gorgeous luminescent scales that matched the one decorating your arms. The tail itself was long and powerful, capable of helping you to swim flawlessly throughout the ocean. The fins that were at the sides and tip of your tail reminded you of those of a lionfish, spectacular and fierce. Lifting your eyebrows in fascination, you looked at Junmyeon’s tail only to realize his was different.

His tail was more reminiscent of a male beta fish. Billowy fins adorned a magnificent sapphire tail, giving you the sense of royalty. It was undeniably fitting for a prince such as himself.

Captured by your thoughts, you were surprised when Junmyeon swam closer to you. Facing the prince, you felt yourself blush at the close proximity of your faces.

_‘Junmyeon…what are you doing?’_ you questioned, although you knew what would come next.

Smiling sweetly, Junmyeon carefully curled his tail around yours as he placed his webbed hands on either side of your face.

_‘Would you grant me permission to kiss you, Y/N?’_ echoed the whispered voice of Junmyeon.

Placing your own webbed hands on his chest again, you nodded bashfully at the request.

Slowly leaning in, both of your lips met in an innocent kiss as total bliss wrapped around the two of you like the water that you were submerged in. The soft caress of his lips against your own caused your body to shudder in pleasure as your subtle moan reverberated throughout Junmyeon’s mind. Literally wrapped up in each other, you slid your hands around his neck with no intentions of letting go.

Your old life was filled with challenges from the moment you were born. It was always a fight for survival, whether it was for food, shelter, or a job, but whoever was watching over you made sure to put the right people in your life to move you forward.

Thankfully, Junmyeon happened to be one of them and because of that, you were now able to live the happy life that you always wanted.


	2. Slither (Lay)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all. Here's the second story for the AU. I hope you like it!
> 
> G/N = Grandma's name

Ever since you were young, you had enjoyed the strange tales that your grandmother had spun for you. They were filled with such magic and mystery that you always found yourself deeply entranced by her words. You wanted to visit faraway lands, meet peculiar creatures, and be like the beautiful princesses who were in love with brave princes. However, the stories that you had enjoyed the most were the ones about her life in the woods.

Your grandmother had lived in a small cabin close to a gorgeous lake. Her home was rather difficult to find since the area was filled with thick foliage and large evergreen trees. Traveling there was like walking through a maze without any guidance. Regardless, your sweet grandmother had no problems navigating the place in which she had lived for so many years.

Whenever she had come to visit your family, you always begged her to tell you about her day in the woods. She would tell you to wait until the evening, adding that storytelling was much more magical when the sky was dark and the stars were out. Once night had fallen, you would rush through your bedtime routine and run into your room where your grandmother would wait. After you had hopped under your covers and settled in for the night, your grandmother would clear her throat and begin her story.

You were never disappointed.                                                                             

She told you about how wild deer often visited her cabin in search for food. She would always bring them fruits or wild berries that she had found on her early morning walks. The local birds and raccoons were never one to pass up on food, so they often joined the deer in front of her home. Occasionally, she got to pet some of the animals that were rather friendly.

Amazed by what you heard, you had once asked your grandmother if she was secretly a princess. She chuckled at your question and gave you a mirthful smile.

“Of course I am, sweetie. Anyone can be a princess, so that makes you one too!”

Next, she would tell you about the large lake that would often change colors depending on the weather. When the weather was warm and sunny, the lake reflected the bright blue sky that stretched across the mountains and trees. However, on most days, the skies were filled with clouds. Instead of being bright blue, the lake had become the color of onyx. Your grandmother explained that this was her favorite weather because the black lake almost appeared emerald due to the reflection of the evergreen trees.

Finally, she would come to the part that you loved the most.

When the nights were cool, she would build small fire pits a short distance away from the cabin. She would sit in front of the fire on her foldable wooden chair with a blanket as she enjoyed a small cup of coffee. The sounds of owls hooting from their perches and the cries of wild coyotes were a source of tranquility for her, but she was most delighted when she heard the sounds of slithering.

At first, you were perplexed by your grandmother’s excitement towards the strange sound. You were convinced that she was talking about a monster since your father had told you chilling stories about frightful creatures that slinked and slithered in search of bad children to eat. You told her about those stories, but your grandmother only shook her head, claiming that creatures who made those sounds were usually kind as long as you treated them with respect. When you asked her how she knew this, she chuckled slyly.

“Because I have a friend who slithers wherever he goes.”

Once she spoke more about him during your nightly story time, you grew to like him just as much as she did. From what she had mentioned, he was around your age and just as cute as you were. He was also quite shy, but he was very kind-hearted and always helped her around the cabin.

Sometimes when she was out enjoying her fire, she would notice his glowing yellow eyes peering from behind the trees. She would only smile and simply invite him over for s’mores. As they ate their tasty snacks, they would talk about strange and wonderful things and he was rather eager to hear the same tales that she had shared with you. Other times, the evenings were spent in comfortable silence as they enjoyed watching the thousands of fireflies that would come out to dance in the dark.

After hearing about such fun nights, you asked your grandmother innocently if you could meet her friend and spend time with them at the cabin. She agreed, claiming that her friend wanted to meet you as well. It seemed that she had been telling him stories about you.

Eventually, you were able to spend time at the cabin on numerous occasions with your grandmother. You had gone fishing down at the lake, fed the animals that stopped by the cabin, and spent nights around the fire eating snacks with your grandmother.

Yet, the friend never came.

You were disappointed. You had been so eager to meet your grandmother’s gentle friend, but you had a nagging feeling that someone was always watching the two of you. Several times, you asked about his whereabouts, but your grandmother only smiled.

“Oh, he’s around, honey. He’s probably just being shy, especially since my pretty granddaughter is staying with me.”

You would giggle bashfully at her compliment, but deep down, you truly wanted to meet her odd friend.

Throughout your teens, your love for your grandmother’s cabin and the woods grew. The scenery was absolutely stunning and you felt that you could spend the rest of your life living out in the wilderness. The stories that she had shared with you also stayed close to your heart, especially the one about her slithery friend.

You believed that her friend was nothing more than a figure of her imagination that she used as entertainment. As for the feeling of being watched when you visited the cabin, you just chalked it up to being one of the animals that lived nearby. They were known to look for food at all types of hours.

Unfortunately, once you had you had left for college, you weren’t able to spend as much time with your grandmother back home. You were too preoccupied with studying for exams, pulling all-nighters with assignments, and attending the occasional summer classes and late night parties.

Dreams about living in the woods had becomes dreams about owning an apartment in a city, thoughts of living freely without worries had become worries about finding a stable job and earning money, and the excitement of meeting an imaginary friend had become the hopes of finding a good guy to settle down with.

Adulthood had now completely transformed your outlook on the future.

~~~~~~

Staring at the album in your lap, you wiped away the tears that fell freely down your cheeks. The small Pomeranian lying beside you whined quietly, clearly concerned about her owner’s behavior.

It had been a week since you attended your grandmother’s funeral. She had become severely ill and at her old age, it was difficult for her body to fight against the sickness. Things became progressively worse and soon she had succumbed to her disease.

Regret and sorrow plagued your broken heart. You were angry at yourself for not having spent more time with your grandmother before she had passed. You were so engrossed in just living your life that you had seemed to forget the woman who had filled your childhood with such happiness. Now, she was gone and you could do nothing to make up for the time lost between the two of you.

As you mourned silently in your room, you barely noticed the door opening, revealing your father.

“Hey, pumpkin,” came your father’s voice as he watched you from the doorway.

Greeting him dejectedly, you watched with bloodshot eyes as your father made his way over towards you.

Sitting down next to you on the other side of the bed, your father placed an arm around your shoulders as you leaned into his warm embrace. After a couple moments of silence, your father decided to speak up.

“I know it hurts now, Y/N, but I promise you everything will be better,” your father said gently.

“I just feel terrible. Like, I used to spend so much time with her, but once I left for college, I just seem to forget her,” you replied as you shook your head in disappointment. “I’m such a bad grandchild.”

“Nonsense. Your grandmother knew you were growing up and she was extremely proud of your achievements. She wanted you to live your own life,” smiled your father.

“I know, but I really should have put some time aside for her…” you sighed heavily.

“Well, if this is any comfort to you, your grandmother left the cabin to you,” your father said.

Pulling away, you stared at your father in disbelief.

“Are you serious? Grandma really did that for me?”

Your father smiled as his crow’s feet wrinkled at the corners of his eyes.

“She did. She knew how much you loved her home, so she decided to give it to you,” your father answered.

You hugged your father as another set of tears made their way down your face. Your father rocked you in his arms as he tried to comfort you. Your Pomeranian Jia jumped up excitedly, wanting to join in the hug between you and your father.

Your grandmother was always full of surprises.

A few days later, you found yourself packing your bags for a weeklong stay at your grandmother’s cabin. You thought it would do you some good to get some fresh air after being cooped up in your house for so long. You also wanted to give yourself a break before searching for a full-time job, especially since you had recently graduated from school.

After telling your parents goodbye, you hopped into your car and drove out towards your grandmother’s place. The drive to the cabin took about an hour, so the time was spent jamming to your favorite songs as Jia howled along happily. It was a relief to be happy again.

Once you had arrived, you parked your car and placed Jia in her carrier before grabbing your belongings. You made your way through the wooded area along the familiar path your grandmother had shown you.

The sun’s rays peeked shyly between the giant trees, causing shadows and lights to play in front of you. The lush green color of the oak and evergreen trees blended harmoniously with the pinks and purples of wild flowers that graced the forest floors. It was all so relaxing and you hadn’t even reached the cabin yet.

A few minutes later, your grandmother’s quaint little cabin came into view and you couldn’t help the smile that fell upon your lips. You broke out into a slight jog, giddiness now taking over your body. Finally reaching the door, you placed Jia’s carrier down momentarily as you searched for the cabin’s key in your jeans pocket. Pulling it out carefully, you inserted the key and unlocked the door.

The cabin was a bit dusty since it had been unoccupied for several days, but everything was still the way you had remembered it. The main floor was an open concept. The kitchen shared the space with the living room. There were several antique furniture in the room with old rugs decorating the cabin as picture frames hung on the wooden walls, but your favorite part of the cabin was the area near the fireplace.

Closing the cabin door behind you, you opened the flap to Jia’s carrier, causing her to dash out in a hurry. You shook your head and giggled at your dog’s silly behavior. The cabin was the ideal place for you to live, away from society and the anxiety that came with being an adult. Nonetheless, the cabin would have to serve as a vacation home for now.

Setting your things down, you set out to straighten the place while the sun was still up. If you were going to stay here for some time, it had better be clean. The entire afternoon was spent cleaning the cabin. You had to change the sheets in the bedroom, dust off the furniture, store food in the cabinets, and much more. It was a lot more work than what you had expected to do on the first day there, but it felt good to move around.

After giving Jia some food and water, you started to unpack your things so you could put them away. As you were doing this, a familiar feeling of being watched washed over you, causing the hair on the back of your neck to stand. Jia’s tiny barks startled you momentarily, causing you to stare at the window that she was facing.

You walked towards the window and looked through the glass, but saw nothing. You were about to scold yourself for acting silly when suddenly an odd face popped into sight. Screaming, you jumped back and clutched your chest in fright. When you realized it was just a deer, you shook your head and tried to slow your breathing.

“I completely forgot the animals here are bold,” you mumbled as you walked over to the kitchen to look for some fruit.

Making your way back towards the front of the cabin, you told Jia to stay put as you opened the door. The deer casually made its way over and you put your hand out to feed it. Taking the fruit from your hand, the animal ate it slowly as you watched it happily. You forgot how fun it was to feed the neighboring animals.

Once it had finished its snack, the deer silently made its way back towards the woods as you watched from the doorway. When you could no longer see it, you leaned against the doorframe and stared out into the darkened woods as your thoughts drifted to your grandmother. Your heart ached for her and you wished she was with you at the cabin.

Distracted by your memories of her, you almost failed to notice the odd feeling of being watched again. You frowned, wondering if another animal was hidden among the darkness, but nothing happened. Sighing at your behavior, you began chuckling when you remembered your grandmother’s tale about her “friend.” You turned around and closed the door, failing to catch the pair of glowing eyes that peered from distance.

The next morning, you woke up early and got ready for a day of relaxation. Finishing up your morning routine, you packed some food, water, books, and a small blanket in a book bag and headed down to the lake with Jia. You had all intentions in spending the day there, lazing around with your cute pooch.

Reaching the wooden dock that extended out into the lake, you placed your bag down and walked closer towards the edge. You stretched your arms and closed your eyes in satisfaction. Feeling much better, you dropped your arms and peered at the beautiful lake before you.

The sky was partially cloudy, causing the lake to appear dark and glossy. The evergreen trees stood tall and proud and they had a glimpse of their beauty in the lake before them. Sighing contently at Mother Nature’s creation, you went to open your bag and pulled out the blanket to lay on the dock. Sitting yourself down, you pulled off your shoes and grabbed some snacks as Jia lay besides you.

You spent the rest of your time at the lake playing with Jia and reading the book that you had brought with you. After you had enough of reading, you put your book aside and lay on blanket. You felt so tired, especially since you had gotten up so early. Your eyelids began to grow heavy and you barely registered your dog hopping up to lie on your stomach. Slowly, your eyes began to shut and you drifted off to the land of sleep.

Hours later, you woke to the sensation of something licking your face. Groggily, you opened your eyes to see Jia panting in front of you. You looked at you surroundings and realized that it was getting dark. Gently placing Jia to the side, you sat up and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. Standing up slowly, you began to put your things away and called to your little dog to follow you.

After walking along the path for some time, you were almost back at the cabin. Jia was trotting happily in front of you until she came to a halt. Her ears twitched as she picked up on a sound too low for you to hear.

“Come on, Jia. We gotta get back before it gets too dark,” you said as you kept walking. You turned around to see if she was following, but she continued to stay in place.

Before you could call out to your dog again, Jia shot off in an unknown direction causing you to panic. Without thinking, you ran after your dog as you yelled for her to stop. You couldn’t fathom how such a tiny dog could run so fast, but that thought was quickly interrupted when your foot caught a gnarled root.

Yelping loudly, you found yourself tumbling down the side of a steep hill. Your world spun as you tried to grab anything to stop your descent down the hill, but it was useless. After what had seemed like an eternity, you landed at the bottom of the forest floor in a patch of lush grass. Quite disoriented, you groaned as you attempted to sit up, but the feeling of nausea washed over your being. Lying back down, you waited for the bout of nausea to pass before you could figure out where you were.

Back to your senses, you attempted to stand up, but flinched when you tried to stand on your right foot. You cursed quietly, realizing that it had been sprained. Looking at the hill that you had rolled down, you grew frustrated knowing that you wouldn’t be able to climb it with an injured foot. You had no choice but to walk around until you could find an easier way to get back up to where you came from.

The minutes seem to drag on as you looked desperately for a way up, but you had no luck. Night had fallen upon the woods and you were frightened at the thought of what could be possibly lurking among the trees. The hooting of owls and the cries of coyotes that you had loved as a child, were now a nightmarish song that had you fearing for your life. The dim moonlight was your only source of light in the maze of trees, but it did very little to ease your distress.

On the verge of giving up, the sound of Jia’s barks caught your attention. Moving towards the source of the sound, you could barely make out the shape of your hyper pooch. Barking excitedly, your dog wagged her fluffy tail as she faced something that was hidden behind a tree. Cautiously, you moved around to see what your dog was facing and was able to make out the shape of a man. The stranger began petting Jia, causing the little dog to whine cheerfully. Thinking it was safe, you moved closer towards the pair.

“Um…excuse me. That’s my dog. She ran off and I kinda got hurt…” you began as your words began to trail off.

You noticed how stiff the strange man became and it was there that you knew something was very wrong. You could make out the man’s torso much better in the moonlight, but realized it seemed to be floating without any legs attached to the body. A chill crawled up your spine when you noticed that his torso was actually attached to something, but whatever it was, it was scaly and its massive length wrapped tightly around a nearby tree. However, the glowing yellow eyes that stared back was enough to send you limping far away from the creature.

In that moment, you didn’t care if your foot was sprained or if Jia was going to be eaten. All you knew was that you sure as hell wasn’t going to die because your crazy dog decided to run off.

The sound of slithering behind you made your heart race faster as you tried to get away from the creature that chased after you. Fate seemed to have other plans because for the second time that night, you felt yourself crash to the ground as you tripped in your attempt to run away. The creature quickly surrounded you, the moonlight making it more apparent that a shimmery snake-like tail had wrapped around, blocking any potential escape routes. 

Sitting up quickly, you were near tears when you realized that you had nowhere to go. Staring at the massive creature before you, you were shocked to see how attractive he was. He had pale skin that seemed to be illuminated by the moonlight. Dark hair that matched the color of his scales graced his head as gold jewelry adorned his body, making him look otherworldly. Overall, he seemed to be around your age, but you had no idea how old he truly was. What struck you the most was the glowing eyes that watched you carefully and the strange look that covered his face.

Was that look _sympathy_?

Jia’s sharp barking broke your thoughts, bringing you back to the dangerous situation that you were in. You noticed your dog was being embraced by the creature, resting comfortable in his arms. You wondered briefly why it hadn’t killed your beloved pet.

Then the unthinkable happened.

He gently placed your dog on the ground, causing the little ball of fur to run towards you. Hopping in your lap, Jia stood on her hind legs and placed her front paws on your chest to lick under your neck. She was completely oblivious to your misery.

Hugging your dog tightly, you continue to watch the strange creature as he stared at the both of you. He looked rather absorbed by the interaction between the two of you and you wondered what he planned to do next. His voice suddenly broke the silence, causing you to jump at his weird behavior.

“I forgot you’re injured! I saw you limping when I was trying to catch up with you,” the creature rambled. “Let me help you.”

The creature slithered closer to you and clenched your eyes shut in fright as you tried to brace yourself for what was about to happen. You quickly froze when you felt something warm radiating against your injured foot, but it was in no way unpleasant. You opened one eye to see what he was doing and saw that his clawed hands were pulsating with light. Once the light had dimmed away, he looked at you and gave a dimpled smile.

“All better.”

Curiosity got the best of you and you moved the foot that he worked on. It felt much better and you were rather surprised that he hadn’t killed you.

“Thank you,” you said softly as your eyes shifted away from your foot and towards the snake-like man.

“I’m so sorry for scaring you,” the creature replied, hanging his head bashfully. “I saw what happened with your pet and I just wanted to help.”

“It’s okay…I’m grateful that Jia’s alright,” you answered, trying to wrap your head around the fact that you were talking to something supernatural. “I might have to use her leash again…”

“That would be a good idea,” the creature agreed.

“Um…can I ask? Who are you and what are you?” you asked, wanting to know what you were currently dealing with.

Thrilled by your curiosity, he bowed proudly before you.

“My name is Yixing and I am a naga. I am the guardian of the lake and these woods.”

“A naga?” you questioned, not fully understanding.

“I am a snake deity who was created by one of the Four Heavenly Kings to protect this region,” Yixing answered.

Taking the explanation as a strange, but acceptable answer, you decided to be polite and introduced yourself. Yixing’s eyes lit up when your name left your lips.

“Do you happen to be G/N’s granddaughter? You look very much like the girl that used to visit her,” Yixing inquired ecstatically.

A surprised laughed left your lips as you grinned at the mention of your grandmother’s name. It had seemed that your grandmother’s imaginary friend was real.

“Yeah, that’s me,” you answered, entertained by how happy he was.

Realizing that it was rather late, Yixing asked shyly if he could escort you back to the cabin and you agreed. You had no idea what other creatures were in these woods, but you felt safe knowing that Yixing wouldn’t hurt you.

It took some time to reach the cabin, but you were relieved when it finally came into view. Once you reached the door, you faced Yixing to thank him for bringing you home safely. Shaking his head, he answered that he was more than happy to be of some help. As you pulled out your key to unlock the door, Yixing’s voice caught your attention.

“Oh, I meant to ask you. How is your grandmother? I haven’t seen her in a while and I miss her delicious snacks,” Yixing said, as his yellow eyes lit up at the thought of the gentle woman.

Sighing heavily, your heart broke knowing that you would have to break the sad news to Yixing.

“She um…she passed away several days ago,” you said carefully as you took in his shocked expression. “She had grown sick and had difficulty recovering from the disease…”

“I-I understand…” came Yixing’s cracked voice.

You hadn’t expected him to tear up, but you knew he was close to your grandmother since she had spoken so fondly of him. Before you could say another word to him, he quietly bided you goodnight. Slithering slowly, he headed back into the forest and out of sight.

Feeling quite emotional yourself, you wiped the stray tear from your eye as you carefully held Jia’s sleeping form in your other arm. You missed your grandmother just as much as Yixing did. Breaking the news to him made you feel as if you were reliving that day all over again. Heading through the door, you prepared yourself for a sleepless night.

~~~~~~

You sat around the kitchen table, eating your breakfast unhurriedly as you thought about the previous night. You had half the mind to believe that it was all just a wild dream, but you knew it was too vivid to be considered one. It was a hard pill to swallow. Your grandmother had been talking about Yixing for years, but to meet him now and see that he actually existed all this time sent your mind reeling.

You were about to take another sip of your coffee when you heard a small knock at the door. A blur shot past your feet as Jia ran over to the door. She began barking and scratching at it as she attempted to get past the wooden obstacle. Rolling your eyes at her silliness, you got up and walked over to the door. Pushing Jia aside gently with your foot and telling her to stay, you opened the door to a familiar face.

“Good morning, Y/N,” came Yixing’s soft voice.

“Hey,” you replied, feeling somewhat awkward talking to the naga. You were still a little cautious since you knew very little about him.

“I wanted to apologize for leaving so abruptly last night,” Yixing began as he kept eye contact with you. “I became distraught at the news and how sudden it was. I had known her for a long time…”

You were sincerely touched by how much he cared about your late grandmother. He had spent so much time with her and you knew it was true based on the stories that she always told you. It appeared that he was a better friend to her than you were as a granddaughter. You couldn’t help but feel a little envious, but you also felt happy knowing that someone was always with her.

“I know how hard it is. She was a good woman and I truly regret not having spent more time with her,” you started as you watched Yixing’s troubled expression. “If it means anything, she passed away peacefully.”

“I’m happy she didn’t suffer,” Yixing said, nodding his head in understanding.

The both of you stayed there quietly, unsure of what to say next. You bit your lip, thinking of how to break the silence.

“Are you hungry? I could make you something if you want,” you asked.

“Really?” came Yixing’s shocked response as his cheeks became tinted with pink. “You really don’t mind?”

You smiled at his reaction. You could understand why your grandmother befriended him. He was considerate of others.

“Yeah. Any friend of my grandma is a friend of mine.”

Stepping aside, you let Yixing enter as Jia barked happily at his presence. You giggled to yourself as you watched as his long black tail glided into the room. You thought it would go on forever before you finally closed the door.

After feeding Yixing and enjoying the rest of your meal, the both of you decided to go down to the lake. The weather was fairly warm considering that fall was nearing, but it was the perfect time to go fishing. Wanting to repay you for your hospitality, Yixing offered to carry your fishing rod and bag while you walked Jia with her leash.

You were not trying to roll down another hill.

Once the three of you reached the lake, you all settled down at the dock where you had spent your time the previous day. It was a little more cramped due to Yixing’s lengthy tail, but the both of you made it work. Placing down the blanket for Jia to rest on, you grabbed your fishing rod and casted it.

As you waited patiently for a fish to bite, you and Yixing talked more about your lives. He surprisingly knew a lot about the lives of humans. You thought it was due to your grandmother’s stories, but he had revealed that nagas were capable of shifting into a human form for a short period of time. Much of his knowledge of humans had been from interacting with them. You also learned that he could perform magic and was skilled at creating potions.

Filled with curiosity, you asked him if it was possible to teach you magic and show you how to craft potions. A pleased grin covered his face and he agreed to teach you. You were the second human to display such interest in his hobbies.

Some time had passed and you still hadn’t caught anything. Sighing in displeasure, you were about to reel in your line when Yixing stopped you.

“Don’t worry, Y/N. I can help you,” Yixing assured you.

Before you could ask him how, he dove gracefully into the jet black water. Jia’s noisy barking echo across the lake, causing you to shush her. You turned your eyes back towards the water and wondered what Yixing planned to do. Gasping, you noticed the water around your line began to bubble as a large swarm of fish swam frantically. They swam around in same area, as if there were no means of escape.

You saw Yixing resurface nearby the dock with a fanged smile. You looked at him in wonder, eyes flickering back and forth between him and the swarm of fish.

“How…what did you do?” you asked, laughing in amazement went you felt a familiar tug at the end your fishing rod.

“I used some of my magic and created a small barrier after herding some fish together,” he explained.

The sound of your laughter sent small tingles down to the end of his tail. It was like being a child again, watching you play with your grandmother out in front of the cabin without a care in the world. Now, he was the source of your current happiness.

You were successful in catching some fish and when you had finished, Yixing removed the barrier, allowing the fish to escape. You sighed, pleased at how much fun you were having with the naga.

“I’m glad I caught some fish, but I feel like I cheated,” you mentioned as you watched Yixing swim closer to you. “I’m supposed to be patient when it comes to the art of fishing.”

“It doesn’t hurt to break the rules once in a while,” Yixing said. “Plus, this lake has delicious fish, so why not?”

“That, I can agree on,” you said as you stood up to stretch. “So, what should we do next, Yixing?”

You raised an eyebrow when you noticed the mischievous glint in Yixing’s yellow eyes. Without any warning, you yelped when you felt water soak through your clothes. You looked at the naga in shock as Jia growled beside you.

“Did you just splash me?!” you asked, completely astounded by his actions.

Staring at you innocently, Yixing pouted as if he had done nothing.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m just here enjoying the water.”

Wanting to get even, you took off your shoes and promptly sat down on the edge of the dock. Place your feet in the water, you kicked hard as you sent water flying at the naga. Now laughing merrily, Yixing sent more water your way, causing a water fight to break out between the two of you. Wanting to help you, Jia attempted to bite the water that came your way, unaware that she was failing miserably.

Growing tired, you and Yixing tried to catch your breaths although you had a feeling that he was faking his exhaustion. You eyed him carefully, trying to guess his next move.

“Do you surrender?” you asked as you kicked some more water at Yixing.

“Never, but you will,” Yixing said proudly.

Standing up and placing your hands on your hips, you stood your ground.

“I think you’re confused because I don’t recall talking about my surrender,” you replied haughtily.

“I guess I have no choice but to use _that_ move then,” Yixing answered, causing you to look at him suspiciously.

“What move? What are you going to do?” you asked, backing away slowing.

Yixing smiled at you and turned to Jia who watched him with just as much apprehension.

“Jia, stay,” Yixing said, causing the dog to lie down obediently.

Watching on in complete confusion, you screamed when Yixing swiftly lunged out of the water and wrapped his arms around your waist. You blushed when you felt his warm breath against your ear.

“Hold on,” Yixing whispered impishly before pulling you into the dark lake with him.

Once in the water, Yixing immediately released you, causing you to swim to the surface and sputter violently. Yixing snickered, knowing that he had won the water fight between the two of you. Once you caught your breath, you swam over to him and smacked him lightly on his shoulder.

“That’s so unfair!” you whined as his laughter grew louder. You scrunched up your face and attempted to swim back to the shore, until you heard Yixing’s voice.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. Would you like to swim with me?” Yixing asked, hoping that he hadn’t upset you.

“Um, okay. Let me just catch my breath first,” you answered, much to his relief.

“I could give you a ride around the lake if you want me to,” Yixing suggested as his cheeks became dusted with pink.

Growing a little flustered yourself, you nodded and swam over to him. Following his instructions, you wrapped your arms and legs around his neck and torso before he swam slowly around the lake. His powerful tail glided silently through the water, causing you to forget momentarily that he had one.

It was like a dream, swimming around the lake with someone who wasn’t even human. You felt so relaxed and at peace with Yixing and you weren’t sure why. You had literally just met him yesterday, but in a sense, you knew him much longer than that. It had seemed that your grandmother was the link between you and Yixing’s growing connection. Thoughts of your grandmother led you to wonder if Yixing had any family.

“Yixing, I was thinking about something,” you mentioned, catching his attention. “I know you mentioned that you were created by a king or god of some sort, but do you have a family?”

“Nagas don’t have parents or siblings,” Yixing explained, sounding a little dejected. “Well, maybe we’re siblings because the same god created us.”

“I see,” you said quietly, afraid that you might have brought up a sensitive topic.

“To be honest, I think the closest thing to having a family was your grandmother. Maybe someday, you could be my family too…” Yixing whispered, not wanting you to hear the last part.

You felt your heart thump hard in your chest. You weren’t sure if it was from how sentimental Yixing was towards your grandmother or the fact that he wanted to become a family with you. It was overwhelming as to how sweet the naga was and you hugged him a little more tightly.

That did not go unnoticed by him.

Several hours later, the three of you returned back to cabin. You didn’t want Yixing to go back home on an empty stomach so you prepared a nice little dinner with the fish that you had caught earlier. After having more talks during the dinner, Yixing said his goodbyes, promising that he would visit tomorrow so he could teach you magic and potion making.

Once you had finished taking a long bath, you climbed into bed as Jia took her place next to you. You were absolutely giddy for tomorrow’s meeting and you couldn’t wait to learn about magic and potions. Most of all, you couldn’t wait to see Yixing. Feeling yourself becoming tired, you closed your eyes and hoped that tomorrow would arrive soon.

The next morning, you woke up early and prepared yourself for a day of fun. You quickly went through your morning routines as eagerness coursed through your body. It reminded you of how you used to rush through your nightly tasks in anticipation of your grandmother’s tales. Now you were rushing to spend time with Yixing.

You prepared a big breakfast, wanting to make sure both you and Yixing ate well before spending all day God knows where. Soon enough, you heard the familiar knocking at the door and ran towards it, causing Jia to look at you as if you were the one who went crazy. Opening the door, you smiled brightly when your eyes landed on Yixing.

Saying your greetings, you invited Yixing in for some breakfast, who once again was surprised by your offer. Once the both of you had finished eating, Yixing helped you with the dishes, allowing you to finish the task more quickly. Leaving enough food and water for Jia, you left the cabin with Yixing and took a short walk through the woods.

The both of you traveled in silence, enjoying the scenery while the songs of local birds resonated from the treetops. Looking skyward, you admired how the leaves danced in the subtle wind and in that moment, you felt like one of the characters from your grandmother’s story. Even better, you were about to do something that you had dreamed about since you were a child.

As you watch the leaves, you noticed one fell from its branch and spiraled all the way down, right on top of Yixing’s head. You waited for it to fly away from his movements, but it appeared to have all intentions of staying put.

“Yixing, could you stop for a minute?” you called out, stopping the naga in his tracks.

“Is everything alright?” Yixing asked as he turned around to give you his full attention.

You chuckled, finding it amusing at how oblivious Yixing was to the small leaf. Walking up to him, you placed a hand on his shoulder before standing on your toes to reach the small leaf.

Yixing looked at you strangely, silently questioning your behavior, but bowed his head nonetheless. When you had pulled out the leaf, you moved back slightly to show him what you had. An amused giggle left his mouth as he reached to take the leaf from your hand. Looking at it briefly, he moved to tucked it behind your ear, causing you both to burst out laughing.

A few minutes later, the both of you stopped in front of a dark cave. You looked at it nervously, wondering if any bears lived in it.

“This is my home,” Yixing said, trying to reassure you. “It might look intimidating from the outside, but I promise you it’s much different on inside.”

Extending his hand out to you, you placed all your trust in him and laced you fingers with his. The two of walked a few feet in before coming to a short stop. You couldn’t see anything in front of you, although the light from the cave entrance was behind you. Before you could ask Yixing why he had stopped, another source of light caught your attention.

You gawked in fascination as you stared at the ball of light in Yixing’s clawed hand. It sparkled prettily, reminding you of a glistening diamond. Pleased that you were no longer frightened, Yixing continued to lead you through the cave until you came across a massive door. Carved into the wooden door was an unknown language that glowed an eerie red. You had an inkling that it was something that shouldn’t be touched, so you stood away from it carefully.

Slithering up to the door, Yixing mumbled an unknown incantation. The carvings started to grow brightly before suddenly dying out. Opening the door, Yixing brought you inside much to your anticipation.

You were completely entranced by your surroundings. Before you was a large room that was anything but ordinary. Instead of the ground, you stood on white marble floors where four massive pillars on both sides of the room extended into a smooth white ceiling with gold carvings. Orbs of light floated near ceiling, giving the white room a more pristine look. On the right side of the room, a waterfall made its down the marble walls into an impressive pool surrounded by various type of plants and smooth stones.

As you walked further in, you notice the marble walls had numerous niches, all filled with a variety of books and decorative objects. Behind you, the walls displayed different breastplate armors and weapons that appeared rather ancient. As for the center of the room, there was a large pillow pit that doubled as a bed. Red, black, and white pillows decorated the rim of the pit as the mattress itself seemed to be one massive pillow, perfect for Yixing’s size. Fur covers were folded neatly to the side and you wanted so badly to lie face down in the cozy looking pit.

“I see you like my home,” Yixing spoke, watching how you took in all the details of his home.

“Like it? I love it!” you exclaimed as you smiled, making him return a fanged one.

You followed Yixing to the left side of the room, where shelves of potions, empty bottles, and ingredients lay. Nearby was a cluttered table which you assumed was his work station. As he went to gather some things from one of the shelves, you noticed a bottle filled with a white liquid.

“What kind of potion is that?” you asked the naga.

Turning his head to see what you were pointing to, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Um, make sure not to touch that potion,” Yixing said as he made his way over and placed some ingredients on the table. Grabbing the potion with white liquid, he placed it on the highest shelf and beyond your reach.

“Is it dangerous?” you questioned, wondering why it had made him so anxious.

“Not really, but don’t worry too much about it,” he answered as he tried to avoid the topic. “Anyway, are you ready to make your first potion?”

Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, you nodded and started your lesson.

Months had passed and it was during this time, Yixing and you grew close. The two of you were almost inseparable. You shared many experiences together, told each other secrets unknown to others, and were always there to support one another. It had seemed that you and Yixing had truly become a family and your days were filled with adventures that left you both smiling constantly.

After finding a job not too far from your childhood home, you had made the decision to live at the cabin. That way you could visit your parents and always return back to Yixing. You were also able to spend more time creating potions with him.

You had difficultly using magic because you were human, but you seemed to have a talent for creating potions. Over the months, you had created numerous potions, some that you tested on yourself as well as Yixing, who volunteered to help. Luckily, you had very little problems and became a decent apothecary.

~~~~~~

It was the beginning of February and winter was in full effect. The animals stopped visiting your cabin as most of them had gone into hibernation, but you were never alone. Yixing and Jia’s company had been a source of happiness as well as entertainment.

You sat in front of the fireplace, wrapped up cozily in the arms of your best friend as Jia slept soundly in your lap. His tail coiled lazily around the three of you, making you feel safe and warm. Yixing had come over for dinner, no longer needing an invite to do so. You both were constantly hanging out in each other’s home. This lead to jokes claiming that you both had two homes.

Yixing and you chatted about little things that came to mind. Eventually, your conversation came to the topic of potions. You wanted to test out a new potion, one that was capable of allowing a human to shapeshift. As the two of you discussed this, your mind went back to the potion that he had hidden from you months ago. You hadn’t brought up the topic since then, but the two of you had grown close. Now, you would try again.

“Yixing, remember that white potion that I had asked about months ago?” you began as you turned to face him. “How come you didn’t want to tell me about it?”

The naga blushed nervously before sighing deeply. His yellow eyes locked onto yours, trying to figure out what he should say. You tilted your head, wondering why the topic made him anxious.

“Do you recall some of the stories that I told you regarding nagas?” Yixing asked as you nodded silently. “Well, there is one that I haven’t told you about.”

“Will you tell me?” you asked, hoping that he would explain things to you.

“Of course,” Yixing replied softly as he pulled you closer to rest his chin on your shoulder.

“A long time ago, there was an eagle who had brought an elixir to the nagas. The eagle poured this elixir on a type of grass, better known kusha grass, but a powerful deity took the elixir away,” Yixing explained as he slowly laced his fingers with yours. “This elixir was known as the Elixir of Life and Immortality.”

“So the potion that I saw that day…” you began as realization hit you.

“Yes, it’s the same elixir, although it isn’t the original one,” Yixing answered before continuing his explanation. “The nagas went to lick the elixir off the kusha grass, but cut their tongues in doing so. This led to nagas having forked tongues. Since that day, nagas were created with the knowledge of replicating the same elixir. It has also become tradition for us to pour the elixir on kusha grass in order to become immortal.”

“That’s really amazing,” you replied softly as you stared at the fire absentmindedly. You were satisfied that he had clarified things, but there was something else that began to bother you. “So does this mean you’re not immortal? I mean your tongue isn’t forked…”

“You’re correct, Y/N. I’m not immortal,” Yixing replied sheepishly, burying his face into your neck.

“I mean, there’s nothing wrong with deciding whether or not to be immortal. It _is_ a huge decision,” you assured Yixing, thinking that he was embarrassed for not choosing immortality. “Is there a reason why you chose not to drink it?”

“Actually, there is,” Yixing confessed. “I fell in love.”

You frowned at Yixing’s words, feeling your heart crack a little. You weren’t expecting love to be the reason. Was there another naga that he was in love with and he was just too shy to tell you? Nonetheless, this confession only made you realize how much you truly cared about your best friend.

“I remember it like yesterday. I had been anticipating her arrival for the longest time since I had heard so many stories about how beautiful and kind she was,” Yixing sighed dreamily as he gave your hands a small squeeze. “When she had finally arrived, I became enamored with her. She was even lovelier than what I had expected. And her laugh? It was like music to my ears.”

Although you were feeling jealous about this unknown girl, you wondered why they never ended up together.

“So what happened? Did you ever confess to her?” you asked, trying not to sound too grumpy. Your question caused Yixing to chuckle as he nuzzled your neck gently.

“I didn’t have the chance to confess because I was too scared to meet her. All I could do was keep my distance and watch from afar as she played with her beloved grandmother,” Yixing admitted as he sighed deeply. “So as of this moment, I’m confessing to her in hopes that she will someday return my affections.”

Your whole body became rigid, when you realized that the girl Yixing had been rambling about the entire time was you. Shifting your body slowly, you turned around to face him once again. Yixing smiled nervously, unable to look at you directly.

“Yixing…are you saying that you’re in love with me?” you asked carefully as you gauged his reaction.

“I am, ever since we were children,” Yixing answered truthfully, now locking eyes with you.

Picking up Jia gently and placing her down on the rug next to you, you kneeled in front of Yixing and placed your hands on his shoulders. Sensing what you were about to do, Yixing wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer. You grew flustered under Yixing’s heated gazed as he adored all the little details of your face. Unable to stop himself, he pulled you into a kiss which you returned with just as much fervor.

Never had you expected to fall in love with Yixing, a creature who you thought was nothing more than a figment of your grandmother’s imagination. He had slithered straight into your heart and wrapped himself around it contentedly.

It had seemed that your dreams of living in the woods had become a reality, thoughts of living freely without worries had come true, and the excitement of meeting an imaginary friend had turned into building a life with Yixing, all thanks to your grandmother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blended some facts about nagas based on Hindu, Buddhist, and Filipino lore. On another note, I was cracking up while I was writing this because I know that Lay loves grandmas and didn't even realize that until after the fact. XD


	3. Blood (Luhan) - M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Sup folks. I know it's been a while, but here's a new chapter. Just as a warming, there is smut.

The sound of your fingers tapping on the letters of your keyboard blended with the somewhat quiet ambience of your job’s office. There were a few murmurs from gossiping colleagues and the occasional ring of a phone, but you felt nothing but content in your small cubicle.

It had been a month since you left your native country to pursue your dream career. Once you finished grad school, you decided you wanted a change of environment, so you searched for a city that could provide you with multiple opportunities.

That city turned out to be London.  

Quite naturally, your parents were a bit nervous knowing fully well that their beloved daughter would be finally leaving their nest. Nonetheless, they supported your decision with the comfort of knowing that you would be fine on your own.

A small smile decorated your face as you complimented yourself mentally for making such a big move towards a brighter future. You just knew your life would be amazing.

As you finished typing up a report for your latest project, you felt a tap on your shoulder. You stopped momentarily and turned around to see your good friend Gina grinning at you.

“Hey, Gina. I see you’re in a great mood today,” you mentioned, returning a grin of your own.

“Absolutely, because I’m dragging you out this weekend!” Gina exclaimed somewhat loudly, clearly excited about something.

Gina was often known to be very moody and rather strange. She didn’t like to socialize with her co-workers unless she was forced to interact with them regarding work matters, but something about the manner in which she carried herself was quite alluring. She attracted attention wherever she went, even though she clearly did not want it. Men seem to stumble over their tongues when speaking to her and women blushed coyly in her presence.

Plus, she was freaking rich.

Like, _“I could buy Queen Elizabeth and her family freaking rich,”_ as stated by Gina herself. You weren’t actually sure that was possible, but then again, Gina usually told the truth.

And yet, she chose to work here and associate herself with you. You have no idea why she liked you, but you weren’t complaining. It was nice having a friend here in London.

 “What did you have mind?” you asked.

“Remember how you told me a while ago that you always wanted to attend a masquerade party?” Gina asked as she watched your eyes grow wide.

“Oh my God! Are we going to one?” you squealed happily as your friend giggled at your behavior.

“Yes, I was recently invited by a good friend of mine. He’s the one who’s throwing the party,” Gina replied.

“I didn’t know you had other friends besides me,” you joked causing Gina to poke you in the shoulder.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Gina responded somewhat seriously, “but I like you, so you’ll definitely learn more things.”

You smiled at your friend’s small confession. You felt a little warmth in your heart, happy that you were making a decent impression on Gina. This was definitely going to be a great weekend.

But before your friend could leave your cubicle, there was a question lingering on your mind.

“Gina, I was wondering about something. Why do we always go out at night? I literally never see you during the day.”

A neatly-shaped eyebrow lifted on Gina’s face.

“What are you talking about, silly? Yes, you do. Aren’t I here at work right now?”

“Yeah,” you sighed exasperatedly, “but I mean like outside, walking-down-the-street-when-the-sun-is-out. I mean, you literally get picked up in the basement and you only go out when it’s cloudy or pitch dark.

You felt a manicured finger on your lip and blushed. Even Gina had you flustered with her actions sometimes.

“Shush and just accept it, woman,” Gina smirked mischievously. “The sun isn’t kind to everyone.”

You pouted at your friend and watched as she winked and walked away. Yeah, you’re going to drag her ass outside one of these “sunny” days.

Friday had finally arrived and as soon as the clock hit 4:00pm, Gina snatched you up from your cubicle and led you straight to the basement of your job’s building. There, her driver waited patiently and opened the door to the back of the limo once you were close enough.

As soon as the limo had pulled off, you had learned that the masquerade party that you both were invited to was a word-of-mouth thing. Only the wealthy, powerful, and most attractive people were invited by the host. The only way you had a chance to be included was if one of these people brought you along as a “plus one.”

Luckily for you, you were just that.

After a while, the both of you were dropped off at a high-end fashion boutique. Once you walked into the store, you were absolutely blown away by the beautiful formal wear (and prices) being displayed. One dress in particular caught your eye.

It was a lacy dress that was short and playful in the front and long and luxurious in the back, almost like a modern-day ballroom dress. The top of the dress was heart-shaped and it hugged the waist of the mannequin as the bottom portion billowed down towards the floor. The back of the dress had a rather dramatic plunge line, which displayed the milky back of the mannequin.

It was perfect, but with the salary you had, it was impossible to buy it.

“That’s a beautiful dress. Do you like it?” Gina asked as she examined the material.

“I do, but I’m going to have to find something more within my price range,” you sighed as you stared longingly at the dress.

“Excuse me,” Gina called out to one of the saleswomen. “Can my friend fit on this dress?”

You lifted an eyebrow at Gina’s question.

“What’s the point of me trying on a dress I can’t even buy?” you grumbled slightly. Gina simply giggled at your behavior.

“Did you think I was just shopping for me? I can’t be the only one just stunting on all these people.”

“Holy shit, are you serious?” you looked at her in shocked. “Plus, I didn’t even know they used the word stunting here…”

“Of course, I’m serious,” Gina said as she flipped her hair smoothly, causing the nearby saleswomen to sigh dreamily. “Like I said before, you’re my friend and I take care of people I like.”

You brought Gina into a bear hug, causing her to hug you back even tighter.

“You’re freaking awesome, you know that?” you complimented as you pretended to cry dramatically.

“Hell yes, I am.”

~~~~~~

The next day was spent prepping for the party. You went to a relaxing spa with your wealthy friend where you both got your nails, hair, and makeup done. It felt so nice to be pampered for a change.

Eventually, the sun said its farewell for the day and moon and stars came to greet all those whom they shined upon. The limo that both you and Gina were currently in pulled up unexpectedly to rather large castle. You were rather surprised, previously assuming that the party would be held at a public building or at a fancy estate, but never a _goddamn_ castle.

Magic was truly in the air tonight.

“Nervous?” Gina smirked as she watched your face with amusement. 

“Honestly, a little. I didn’t know it was going to be in a castle...” you trailed off, admiring the beauty of the ancient building.

“Oh, that…the host lives there.”

“WHAT?!” came your surprised response.

Once the driver had opened the door to the limo, both you and Gina put on your elaborate masquerade masks and stepped out of the vehicle. The two of you walked over to the entrance where bodyguards were checking guests off their list. Gina briefly mentioned both of your names and guards granted you both access inside the lavish castle.

As you followed Gina towards the area where the party was being held, you marveled at the sheer size of the castle’s interior. The hallways were wide and spacious, but the guests who chattered and laughed among themselves filled the potential emptiness. The walls and ceilings were as pristine as marble and the intricate gold patterns that resided on the hard surface showered the building in richness. Old portraits of people long gone hung with pride along the walls as lit candles bathed the building in warm light. Smooth red carpet ran along shiny floors, leading you both to the area of the main event.

You couldn’t believe the room that you had stepped into. Your friend’s claims about a masquerade party was actually a masquerade ball along the lines of a circus. Scattered across the room were acrobatic performers who put on wondrous acts on their circular podiums. Some were fire breathing and swallowing swords while others contorted their bodies in odd and sometimes erotic poses. As you walked among the guests who seemed to float about the room in their colorful carnival masks and outfits, you almost missed the aerial silk performers that hung from the ceilings. 

Everything was absolutely pleasing and marvelous to your eyes. Never have you thought something as amazing as this place had existed. Even the food on the banquet tables and the wine that swirled haphazardly in glasses of guests were enticing.

“So what do you think, Y/N?” Gina asked as she pulled you out of your daze. “Is it what you expected?”

“Is it what I expected?!” you choked, your excitement getting to you. “This place is freaking amazing.”       

“Well, expect more parties like this. My friend is always hosting these,” Gina winked.

Before you could ask who exactly her friend was, a dark-haired man with a black and white mask approached her.

“Ah, Gina. Looking beautiful as always,” the man complimented with a smooth accent.

“Hey, Renaldo,” Regina replied as they both greeted one another with a kiss on the cheek. “How was the Maldives?”

“Fantastic. Just what I needed to get away from this place,” Renaldo explained as he gave a dazzling smile. “It’s been hectic since my partner and I decided to merge our company.”

“I hope the weather treated you well,” Gina grinned as the man chuckled. “I heard the sun is quite harsh over there.”

“It is, but I was well accommodated, so I had very little to worry about,” the man winked before setting his sights on you. “So, I see you brought a friend along.”

“Yes, indeed I have. Renaldo, this is my good friend Y/N. We work at the same company together.”

The man nodded at you and you smiled back somewhat shyly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” you said politely.

“Likewise, Ms. Y/N,” Renaldo smirked. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a dance with your companion. I missed her dearly.”

“Oh, Renaldo. Always the dramatic,” Gina laughed. “Make sure to have fun while I’m away, Y/N!”

Before you could say anything more, you watched Gina being whisked away into the boisterous crowd with her friend. The multitudes of colors and dancing guests prevented you from seeing where they had both gone.

And just like that, you began to feel small.

The people around you were unnaturally attractive. You weren’t sure whether it was from possible plastic surgery or being fed the healthiest of food, but it was strange how there were a lack of people who looked…well normal. Power and wealth radiated off them, as if they were all above the common masses. Yet the way they presented themselves made you briefly wonder what it would be like in their shoes.

Nonetheless, you felt like you did not belong there, regardless of being invited by one of the elite themselves. You really liked Gina, but you weren’t like her and the people who danced around you. You were so caught up in your small moment of distress, you almost didn’t feel the gentle tap on your shoulder. Spinning around, your breath became trapped in your chest once your eyes landed on the stranger before you.

Never in your life had your eyes beheld a man so beautiful. His all black suit contrasted sharply against the pale color of his skin as shaggy brown hair sat atop his head. A single earring hung from one of his ears as rings graced his slender fingers. The crowning piece of his formal outfit was the metal mask that covered the top portion of his eyes. The mask had several sharp, jagged edges as opposed to the gentle curling lines that ran along the surface of the mask. It was made quite beautifully, as if a master blacksmith had created it himself, but what really sold you was the man’s eyes.

Scarlet red eyes, framed by black eyeliner stared deep into your soul, causing you to grow bashful from their intensity. A boyish grin grew on his lips, seemingly pleased with the effect he had on you.

“I’m sorry, miss. I saw you standing alone and couldn’t help but think that a gorgeous woman such as yourself should be having fun,” he complimented, causing you to grow warm.

“Gorgeous?” you questioned, not expecting that sort of comment from a man that would slay you in a beauty contest.

“Absolutely. What? You don’t think you are?” the man teased, causing you to blush.

“It’s not that…it was just a bit unexpected,” you admitted as you watched him carefully.

“If that’s the case, could I continue to lavish you with compliments for the rest of the night?” he asked confidently, moving closer to stand in front of you.

At this point, you weren’t even sure you were going to survive the night. This man didn’t even give you a damn minute to get acclimated with the place.

“But I don’t even know you,” you said somewhat hesitantly, even though you already knew you wanted to spend all night partying with the guy.

You felt his hand slide into one of your own as he brought it up to his face. Your eyes widened at his subtle movements.

“My name is Lu Han,” he replied as he brought soft lips to the back of your hand. “If want to know me, say the words and I promise you won’t regret it.”

You felt eyes from some of the guests watching the interaction between you and Lu Han. What was so interesting about watching a guy romancing the dress off some random woman? You decided to say the magic words, regardless of the looks and whispers that swirled around the two of you.

“Can I get to know you, Lu Han?” you asked, entranced by the ethereal being that stood before you.

“You will,” Lu Han smiled as he pulled you slowly through the crowd of partygoers, “but first, let’s dance for a bit.” 

The two of you arrived at the center of the room where a flurry of people spun to a classical song. Lu Han carefully guided you to an empty spot before placing a hand on your hip while holding your hand with the other. You were grateful that Gina had prepared you for this sort of dance although it had been difficult getting the footwork down.

The two of you blended among the swirling guests as the music took control of your bodies. The tension between you and Lu Han gradually faded as a much lighter tone filled you both with delight. You weren’t expecting to have this much fun with a man you just met, but you couldn’t help joining in with his contagious laughter. It was as if the two of you were drunk on pure bliss.

Song after song, you twirled around the room with Lu Han, forgetting that you were among other guests. The glee that graced his angelic face as the two of you danced made your heart skip harder than any man had done.

After a while your aching feet brought your dancing marathon to a stop, but you still had all the intention of getting to know Lu Han. The two of you found yourselves at a relatively quiet part of the room where some guests lingered away from the ruckus of the party. Seeing an empty loveseat, both you and Lu Han walked over and sat down. A contented sigh left your lips as a small chuckle came from Lu Han. You looked over at him curiously, wondering why he had laughed.

“What’s so funny?” you asked as his eyes met yours.

Shifting in his seat to face you, you watched as a smile danced on his face.

“You’re all tuckered out although the night is still young,” Lu Han snickered as he watched you pout.

“Of course I am. We’ve been dancing back to back without a break,” you responded. “I mean, why aren’t you out of breath?”

“Simple. I don’t get as tired as you do,” Lu Han replied smartly, holding back another laugh when he seen you frown.

“Oh, so you’re one of those smart alecks, always cracking wise-ass remarks,” you said.

Quickly clamping a hand over your mouth, you felt embarrassed, thinking you had insulted the mysterious man. You were having so much fun, you completely forgot you were in a room of people that could actually make your life a living hell if you rubbed them the wrong way.

Lu Han smirked at your reaction and slowly pulled your hand away from your mouth. You watched him quietly as he held your hand in his for the third time that night.

“I see you’re both beautiful and bold,” Lu Han smirked as his thumb rubbed the back of your hand soothingly. “A lovely combination, I must add.”

“Lu Han…” you began, unsure of what to say next to the attractive male.

“Would you like to start getting to know me?” Lu Han asked with a subtle tone of eagerness, almost as if he wanted to please you.

Smiling at him, you nodded.

“I think that’s a great idea. Should we take off our masks?” you questioned, anxious to see his entire face.

Lu Han answered your question by removing his mask, causing you to follow suit. Once the masks had been removed, the two of you looked up and locked eyes. The tension between the two of you slowly returned as the both of you stared at one another.

Seeing him without the mask, in your opinion, was a blessing. You knew he was attractive to begin with, but this was definitely unfair. His features were soft and delicate like that of a prince and you wanted nothing more than to run your fingers along the smooth surface of his cheek. You were left breathless, not understanding how this masterpiece was sitting in front of you.

“Wow…” was all you could say. It was impossible for you to form words at the moment.

“I thought I was the one giving compliments tonight…” Lu Han whispered, seemingly caught in a daze as well. You noticed his cheeks becoming slightly pink, causing you to wonder if you had done that to him.

“Um, so it seems we accomplished step one,” you mentioned, trying to recover from your daze. Lu Han laughed at your comment.

“It seems we have, but before we continue, I would love to get your name.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” you exclaimed, realizing that you hadn’t shared that important information with him. “It’s Y/N.”

“Y/N…” Lu Han spoke quietly, relishing how it sounded on his tongue. “What would you like to know about me?”

“Hmm, what do you do for a living?”

“I travel the world and host elaborate parties for the wealthy,” Lu Han replied, watching as your eyes widened in surprise.

“That sounds pretty cool,” you gasped excitedly. “Did you just happen to throw this party too? ‘Cause I mean, it’s _pretty_ elaborate.”

“I did,” Lu Han answered proudly. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” you nodded. “I bet the guy you threw this for is certainly pleased.”

“Oh, I am. I got to meet you because of it.”

You froze suddenly, the statement throwing you off guard. Lu Han smiled mischievously, loving all the reactions that you had been giving him throughout the night. He found you entertaining.

“You mean to tell me that you’re the owner of this castle?” you asked carefully, not prepared for the answer you knew you’d receive.

“Yes and you are welcome to visit anytime as well as attend any party I throw,” Lu Han replied genuinely.

“Holy shit.”

As the night went on, you continued your conversation with Lu Han. The party raged on without any signs of stopping, but it had been long forgotten by the two of you. The eagerness of wanting to know each other was on a much deeper level then spinning around the room and being in a drunken stupor.

You learned that Lu Han had moved to London from Beijing years ago. His services were often in demand in Europe, so he decided that it was wise to move to London. He mentioned that it had taken him a while to adjust to ways of his new environment, but he eventually grew to love it. Still, Beijing was his ancestral home, so he bought a flat in the bustling city just in case he had grown homesick.

He had continued to mention that he had come from a long line of merchants. His family’s wealth had been established due to their success in the wine industry. As for Lu Han, he was more interested in attending and hosting lavish parties that brought together people from far and wide. Using his family’s wealth, he created a professional hosting business that attracted all types of people who simply wanted to have a good time.

The secret to his success was the “word-of-mouth” aspect of his business. The public wasn’t aware of it due to the fact that it was secretly spread among the elite as well as anybody else that had connections. It was a rather risky move, considering that most businesses relied on the public, but Lu Han didn’t appear to have a problem being successful. People were naturally curious and usually liked the idea of being involved in something that the public had no inkling of.

After a long night of deep conversation and excitable dancing, the masquerade party came to a gradual end. You watched from the crowd as Lu Han thanked his guests for such a marvelous time. You didn’t miss how his red eyes landed on you as the guests erupted into a loud cheer for their charming host. As the guests began to file out of the room, you heard your name being called.

“I see you met my friend Lu Han,” Gina teased as she walked over to you. “The two of you seemed quite cozy over there on that loveseat.”

“We were just talking,” you said bashfully. “He’s a really cool guy.”

“He can be quite the flirt, so watch yourself,” Gina warned jokingly. “A lot of women are interested in him. They wouldn’t hesitate to throw themselves at his feet.”

You pouted slightly at her comment. Of course women would be attracted to Lu Han. He was handsome and rich; someone you knew you didn’t stand a chance with. Maybe you were a little in over your head thinking he would be interested in you.

As you and Gina prepared to leave, you felt someone tap your shoulder. You turned around and found Lu Han smiling at you. His mannerism now slightly different from when you had met him earlier.

“I hope you had a wonderful evening,” Lu Han said as he watched your face light up.

“I did! Thank you so much for having me and keeping me company for the night, unlike someone,” you teased, causing Gina to roll her eyes playfully.

“I see you’re friends with Gina,” Lu Han mentioned. “Make sure she doesn’t get you into trouble.”

“I should be telling her that,” Gina laughed. “You’re the one who’s a handful. I’ll have to keep you from corrupting her.”

The three of you chuckled. You felt that all of you were bonding nicely. Maybe, you could all hang out sometime in the future.

“Well, I guess we should be heading out,” you began, although you wanted to continue talking to Lu Han.

“Can I see you again?” Lu Han inquired as he stepped closer to you.

Gina snickered as she watched you grow shy under Lu Han’s piercing stare.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” you answered truthfully.

Maybe you did have a chance with him.

“Then I’ll see you at the next party,” Lu Han grinned.

~~~~~~

From that very night, you had received several personal invites from Lu Han to attend his wild and fantastical parties. You found yourself getting dolled up almost every weekend with Gina until it had become routine.

The parties that Lu Han had were never boring. It was like every party that he threw had a different theme: Roaring Twenties, Arabian Nights, All-White Affairs, etc. You couldn’t understand how someone could come up with so many ideas. Even the forms of entertainment that he provided amazed you because you hadn’t even heard of some of them. No wonder so many people hired him to host their parties.

Although the parties were always a blast, you had the most fun partying with Lu Han. It astonished you as to how he was able to find you each time in a large crowd of party-goers. Your outfits and hairstyles were different each time, making it difficult for any average person to recognize you. But then again, Lu Han was anything but average.

You and Lu Han had become inseparable. Gina purposely began to leave you as she ran off with Renaldo for the night. She had slyly mentioned more than once that you and Lu Han would be cute together, causing your face to heat up each time. From that point and on, she made it her mission to leave you alone with Lu Han. Regardless, it didn’t bother you. You never had an uncomfortable moment with him.

As you spent more time with Lu Han, you realized that he was much more than just a confident flirt. He always took the time to chat with you after dancing and never left you out of any conversations with his flamboyant friends. He was a good listener, always paying attention to the small details of your life and never finding anything that you said boring.

His affections also didn’t go unnoticed. Back hugs became his way of greeting you whenever you came to his parties. At first, it had scared you, causing you to almost scream bloody murder in the middle of his ballroom. As time went by, it was expected and you were more than happy to have his slender arms wrapped around your body.

Another night had come and you found yourself back at Lu Han’s castle for another event. Once you had reached the ballroom with Gina, she ran off with Renaldo. You were pretty sure they were dating at this point, although Gina had repeatedly denied this. As you looked around the room for Lu Han, a man with red hair approached you.

“Hello, madam. Would you care to have this dance with me?” the man asked sweetly.

You were a little disappointed that it wasn’t Lu Han, but you obliged anyway. One dance with a stranger couldn’t hurt and plus, he seemed pretty nice.

You danced to a couple of songs with the red-headed man, idly chatting with him as you both spun around the room. You were somewhat distracted, looking around as you tried to get a glimpse of your favorite party host. Once the current song came to an end, you excused yourself, mentioning that you needed to use the restroom.

You left the noisy ballroom and headed down a dimly lit hallway. You had never needed to use the bathroom at Lu Han’s home, considering that you were invited to other parties at different locations. You knew it was stupid not asking for directions to the bathroom, but you were slightly curious about the castle in which Lu Han lived in.

As you wandered along the spacious corridors, you noticed this part of the castle was much older compared to where the party was being held. It also felt much chiller in the area, causing goosebumps to appear on your exposed arms. Moving further into the castle, you noticed that the end of the corridor was much darker and you could barely make out anything. The only thing that caught your eye was the sliver of light that shone through the crack of a slightly ajar door. Hearing a bit of commotion coming from that direction, you cheered quietly knowing that you had been successful in finding a bathroom in such a large building.

Walking closer to the door, your steps began to falter from the strange string of sounds emanating from the room. It wasn’t the familiar sounds of bathroom gossip, flushing toilets, and running water. These sounds were more provocative and sinful, causing your face to grow warm.

Maybe you were just hearing things? Or maybe someone was here in the castle watching television? Still, it didn’t explain why they weren’t at the party. From what you knew, no one but Lu Han lived here.

Curiosity gripped your being and you forced yourself to move in order to investigate the odd noises. After what felt like a century, you found yourself at the door. Your heart began to race as anxiety replaced your curiosity. Quietly, you peered through the small crack of the door and almost bit down on your lip to silence yourself from what your eyes beheld.

You saw several people within the room as loud moans came from those who were tangled up in rather compromising positions. Desire permeated the room as women and men kissed, touched, and fucked one another in a lust-drunken orgy. Although the amount of sex that took place was filthier than anything you had witnessed, it was the amount of blood that covered the participants that left you coated in cold sweat.

The smell was repugnant, fresh and drying blood coated the walls, the bed, the floors, and the people who seemed unbothered as they vocalized their pleasure. Had they just killed someone and decided to fuck each other silly in the copious amount of blood from their victim? There had to be a dead body in that room. That was the only explanation for this horror show, but the small puncture wounds on the necks of some of the lusty participants had you questioning your sanity.

Trails of scarlet trickled down from the small wounds as people in the room abandoned all inhibition with their lovers. You couldn’t control the rapid flicker of your eyes as it darted from one shocking thing to the next in that disgusting room. Your eyes only stilled when it landed on someone familiar.

Long hair bounced against a woman’s back as she rode a man beneath her vigorously on the bed. Others laid sprawled out around her, seemingly tired from blood loss or possibly from having their turn with the energetic woman. Broken moans fell past her lips as the man below gripped her waist tightly and thrusted into her sharply. Finally reaching her peak, she tilted her head back as an inhuman growl echoed from her throat. Baring a pair of razor sharp canines, she lowered her head and plunged her fangs into her lover’s neck. A deep groan left the man’s mouth as he slapped her ass sharply.

“God Gina, you really know how to fuck someone,” praised the man who turned out to be Renaldo.

“And I’ll continue doing so until I break you,” Gina purred as she licked the blood that began to dripped down the side of her lip.

Having seen enough of the nauseating event that took place, you were about to leave until you heard a familiar voice.

“Off dancing with other people? I’m hurt,” came Lu Han’s joking tone, unaware of what you saw.

You screamed loudly, frightened by how close Lu Han was to you as well as by what you had witnessed. It grew even louder when you also noticed the unnatural glow of his eyes in the dark hallway.

Alarmed by your behavior, Lu Han took a step back so as not to make you uncomfortable. Concern settled on his face as his eyes roamed over you to make sure you were alright. Wanting to comfort you, he reached out to you, but you stepped further away from him.

“Y/N, what wrong?” Lu Han asked as he tried to remain calm.

“Stay the hell away from me!” you yelled, your fear appearing as utter rage.

Before Lu Han could say anything, the door to the room opened and several people looked out to see the commotion that had ruined their private orgy. Pushing some people aside, Gina came out angrily in a bloody robe as Renaldo followed close behind. Apparently, he couldn’t be bothered to cover himself up.

Gina’s glowing eyes widened when she realized that you were the one who had screamed. An unsettling feeling cramped her belly, fearing that you had possibly seen the raunchy activities that she had often indulged in.

“Y/N?” Gina called out gently, not wanting to upset you further.

“Don’t…” you began as you looked at her sharply. “I don’t know what you people are, but don’t talk to me again. The both of you.”

“But…” Lu Han started, wanting to clear up the situation, although he knew that the damage had been done.

You didn’t even let him speak as you ran past him. Lu Han and Gina called out to you in a desperate attempt to stop you, but you ignored them. You ran as fast as you could in your heels and exited the castle, despite getting odd looks from some of the party-goers. As soon as you felt that you were at a safe distance from the castle, you pulled out your phone from your clutch purse and called a cab. Growing nervous, you prayed that one would arrive before Lu Han and Gina came looking for you.

You were done with everything. You were done with the partying and with both Lu Han and Gina. All you wanted to do was just make friends and have fun. You didn’t leave your home just to come here and have everything go to shit because your “friend” liked to take part in bloody orgies or maybe even murders. Even worse, the host allowed that to go on in his own home.

Back at the mansion, Lu Han and Gina tried to figure out how to clean up the mess that they had made of their friendship with you.

“You shouldn’t have let her go, Lu Han,” Gina said angrily, not at the fact that he had let you leave, but because she might have destroyed a bond with someone that she had cared about.

“And what? Hold her hostage?” Lu Han bit back, failing miserably at keeping his demeanor calm. “You shouldn’t have used that room for your activities. That’s what the upper floors are used for.”

“She might go to the police and tell them what she saw,” Gina countered. “She probably thinks we killed someone, especially with the way that room looked.”

“She won’t,” Lu Han replied, mostly trying to convince himself that you wouldn’t do such a thing. “And if she did, do you think anyone would believe her? They’d probably think she had a little too much to drink tonight.”

“Still, as much as we care for her, we can’t have her roaming around with a secret like this,” Gina spat out nervously. “Hell, only a small amount of people in this castle know what we are.”

“Fine. I’ll talk to her,” Lu Han convinced, not liking where the conversation was going. “But killing her or turning her is out of the question.”

“Jesus, Lu Han. Kill her?” Gina asked incredulously. “The most I would do, is probably turn her, but I’m not a freaking monster nor I would insinuate anything regarding killing her. I would never hurt her.”

“Good, because we can’t have shit going down like we did in the past,” came Lu Han’s cryptic tone as he recalled many memories of violence.  “And she doesn’t deserve to suffer like that.”

“You really like her, don’t you?” Gina asked quietly, watching as Lu Han balled his fists in frustration.

Lu Han sighed heartbrokenly and nodded, causing a small smile to appear on Gina’s lips. He did have feelings for you and because of that, he was determined to make things right with you.

~~~~~~

You sat alone at a table in the small café near your apartment as you waited for your order. It had been three weeks since you had last been at the castle. You had trouble sleeping, the images of what took place had invaded your dreams and turned them into complete nightmares. You were no longer dreaming about dancing with Lu Han, but instead of monsters that torn you to shreds with their teeth and splattered your blood on the walls of your bedroom. It didn’t help that Lu Han was still sending invitations which seemed more like handwritten apologies as he begged to speak with you.

Work was also terrible. You could no longer enjoy your dream job since you still had to work in the same office with Gina. Although Gina had respected your wishes to keep her distance, you still tried to avoid her as best as you could. You didn’t dare look in her direction, afraid of seeing those glowing red eyes that haunted you every day. You never saw the expression of loneliness that was written on her face, but you always caught the bouts of anger she displayed towards the other workers in the office.

The waitress brought over your coffee and you mumbled your thanks. As you drank the hot liquid, you ignored the bell that rang as the door opened. Too agitated to worry about other people, you barely registered the person who had entered the shop and was making their way over to you.

“Is this seat taken?”

Your blood ran cold at the sound of the gentle, but familiar voice. You swallowed hard before looking up to see blood red eyes staring back at you, carefully gauging your reaction. Without a word, you stood up quickly, grabbed your bag, and walked past Lu Han without giving him so much as a glance. You ignored the cashier at the register who tried to tell you that you hadn’t paid for your coffee.

Exiting the shop, you began to make your way down the sidewalk hurriedly. Before you could get any farther, you felt a warm hand grab your arm. You began panicking when you turned around and saw Lu Han holding you. You wanted to scream, but you didn’t want to cause a scene in the middle of the busy sidewalk although people were glancing at the two of you. They probably thought the two of you were having a lovers’ quarrel.

“Please don’t go, Y/N,” Lu Han pleaded with you. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Let me just explain myself.”

“Are you stalking me now? There’s nothing you can say that will make this better,” you argued, not wanting to hear him out. “Let me go.”

“No, I won’t,” Lu Han responded firmly. “Not until you let me explain what happened. If you decide you don’t want to be around the two of us, then we won’t bother you anymore.”

You studied his face for a moment with a bit of uncertainty. You weren’t convinced he’d stop bothering you, considering the fact the he ignored your request to leave you alone. Plus, the two of you were in public, so he wouldn’t dare try anything.

“Fine,” you answered begrudgingly as you snatched your arm out of his grip, “but if you try anything, I swear I will contact the police.”

Lu Han let out a shaky breath, grateful that you were finally giving him the opportunity to speak. The two of you headed back to the somewhat empty café and entered the building. Before going to your original spot, you went to apologize to the cashier for running out. When you were about to pay for your unfinished coffee, Lu Han took out a few bills and paid for you. You wanted to yell at him, but you kept your mouth shut.

Finally, the two of you sat down at the table and there was a couple of seconds of silence between you both. Getting tired of waiting for him to explain himself, you were the first to talk.

“Is that something you and Gina normally engage in?” you asked, somewhat disgusted.

Lu Han’s eyes widened, not expecting you to ask him that. He was expecting a question along the lines of “What are you?”

“That’s more of Gina’s kind of fun. I’m pretty monogamous,” Lu Han explained.

“And the blood? How exactly do you explain that?”

“Um, about that. There’s really no good explanation for that,” Lu Han admittedly sheepishly, “but I promise you we didn’t kill anyone. A lot of it was actually animal blood.”

“That’s really weird, you know that right?” you asked him, thinking he was a complete psychopath at this point. “Why even do that?”

“Let me put it this way. As vampires, we like to indulge ourselves in pleasurable things. One of those things is blood, for obvious reasons.”

“Are you serious?” you asked a little too loudly causing Lu Han to shush you. You rolled your eyes, but lowered your voice. “Vampires? I don’t believe you.”

“Well how else do you explain the puncture marks in those people’s necks? Or even our eyes?” Lu Han replied defensively.

“Make up and contacts, genius,” you responded, causing Lu Han to huff loudly.

“You’re so unbelievable, Y/N. I’m trying to explain this to you and all you do is just brush me off.”

“You’re calling me unbelievable? You’re the one calling yourself a vampire and having bloody orgies in your damn home.”

The both of you looked at each other heatedly, not knowing what to say next. The whole situation was ridiculous and hard to believe, but you knew deep down that Lu Han was telling you the truth. It bothered you to no end.

“Why do you allow that to go on in your home?” you asked much quieter, hating how loud your voice sounded in such silence.

“I’m a person that aims to please himself and others. If my guests and customers want to indulge in something pleasurable such as orgies, I will allow it. If they want a night of drunken revelry, I will provide them with wine. If they want to get away from their troubles, I’ll create a place in which they can forget them. Everyone has something that makes them happy.”

“So what do you want Lu Han?” you asked the vampire before you. “What makes you happy?”

“You,” Lu Han answered confidently as he took in your surprised expression.

The feelings of butterfly wings tickled the inside of your stomach as his confession repeated over and over in your head. You had missed the sensation of warmth that his words always seemed to give you. Why the hell are you acting like a little girl? You supposed to be pissed at him.

“Yeah right,” you replied, causing Lu Han to shake his head.

He could read you clear as day. He knew that you liked him just as much as he liked you. He wasn’t about to give up just because you were being stubborn.

“Fine. Let me prove it.”

“How exactly?”

“Let me date you.”

“Wait, what?” you sputtered, causing Lu Han to smirk.

“Are you afraid to date a vampire?” Lu Han teased, causing you to frown.

“No! That’s not it!” you countered although your flushed appearance gave you away.

“So it is true,” Lu Han chuckled. “My Belle is afraid to date the big bad Beast.”

“Oh my God, just shut up!” you whined as covered your face to hide your embarrassment.

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing,” Lu Han said as he stood up, causing you to look at him in confusion.

“Where are you going?” you asked.

“Home, but don’t worry,” Lu Han grinned mischievously. “I’ll be picking you up this Friday at 7.”

Later that week, you found yourself waiting for Lu Han to pick you up for your first date. You had no idea where he was planning to take you. You were a bit nervous, wondering both if you dressed up for the right occasion or if you would wind up dead in some random ditch. I mean, you were going out with a “so-called vampire.” Either way, you knew you couldn’t back out of this date.

Since you were forced to give Lu Han another chance, you’d figured out that maybe you should try to patch up things with Gina. Oddly, despite everything that had happened, you missed her a bit. Still, you weren’t sure how you were going to get over the fact that bloody orgies were one of her guilty pleasures.

How did your life come to this point?

The doorbell rang, signaling that someone was at your apartment door. Taking in a deep breath, you prepared yourself for the night ahead. After you grabbed your purse, you made your way towards the door and opened it.

Lu Han stood there with a small grin on his face until his eyes landed on you. His eyes raked appreciatively over the dress that hugged your body, causing you to grow warm.

“Eyes up here, Lu Han,” you scolded lightly, although you were happy that you had made such an impression.

“Ah, so sorry,” Lu Han apologized with a blush on his face. “You’re just so pretty.”

“Um, thanks,” you responded as a small smile formed on your face. “So, are we ready to go?”

“Yes, but before we do that, I brought these for you.”

Pulling his hands from behind his back, Lu Han presented you with a bouquet of Peruvian lilies.

“I hope you don’t think it’s too cheesy…” Lu Han trailed off, feeling somewhat shy.

“No, I really like them!” you reassured him. “Thank you, Lu Han. Let me just put them a vase of water and then we can head out.”

A few minutes later, both you and Lu Han were in his car as he took you to an unknown destination. You wanted to ask where the two of you were going, but you figured that he wanted to surprise you. Several minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a small estate. You furrowed your eyebrows, wondering where had brought you.

“Where are we?”

“We’re at a small estate that I own,” Lu Han replied.

“Damn, how many homes do you own?” you gasped. Lu Han chuckled at your question.

“A couple.”

Stepping out of the vehicle, Lu Han came around to your side to open the car door for you. After taking the hand that he offered, you stepped out of the car and let him lead you inside of the estate.

The place was cozy, nice for a weekend getaway with friends. As you walked through the estate with Lu Han, you noticed that he never let your hand go. You looked to where your hand was being held and couldn’t help how your heart seemed to flutter. His hand was so soft and wrapped perfectly around yours.

You felt the cool night air against your skin and you shuddered slightly. When you looked up to see where he had taken you, you gasped unexpectedly.

The two of you stood in a spacious backyard. Large floral bushes enclosed the backyard, shielding you both from the world outside. There was small fire pit with a circular couch surrounding it. Colorful pillows and blankets decorated the couch as a bottle of expensive wine, a wine glass, candies, and popcorn sat on top of the fire pit. In front was a large television screen that placed on top of a stone foundation. To top it all off, white lantern lights hung above your heads, casting a dim glow throughout the yard.

“Wow. Did you really plan all of this?” you asked Lu Han as you took in the scenery.

“I did,” Lu Han chuckled as he brought you over to the couch. “Is this okay with you? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“No, this is fine,” you reassured him as you gave him a bright smile. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I just want you to enjoy yourself.”

The two of you settled in as Lu Han poured out some wine for you to enjoy during the movie. After deciding on a movie to watch, you both grabbed a blanket and watched as the movie began to play. It was a silly little movie, leaving you both giggling at some parts. As the both of you became more engrossed in the movie, you barely realized that the two of you had moved closer to one another.

As time went by, you grew a little thirsty. You absentmindedly reached towards the fire pit to pick up your glass of wine, not noticing how close you had placed it towards the edge. You realized too late when you heard the shattering of glass against the paved concrete.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” you panicked slightly, feeling terrible for destroying his things. Bending over, you quickly began to pick up the shards before Lu Han could say anything.

“It’s okay, just leave it-” Lu Han began before he was interrupted by a small yelp.

Looking down at your index finger, you saw that it had a small gash that began to bleed. You were about to get up so that you could find a bathroom to rinse your finger off, but you were stopped by Lu Han grabbing your wrist. Without any warning, he placed the bleeding finger into his mouth.

You stopped breathing as soon as you felt his warm tongue sliding against your injured digit. A low groan rumbled in his chest as he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of your blood. Your eyes stayed on his mouth, briefly wondering what it would feel like on other parts of your body.

Lu Han’s eyelids fluttered open as he stared at you with hazy scarlet eyes. You heart began thumping rapidly in your chest as you burned from his heated gaze. Never had a man looked at you in that manner. Slowly, Lu Han slid your finger out of his mouth, licking his lips as you caught sight of sharp fangs.

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, the buzzing of the movie the only sound in the yard. It was as if you were both daring each other to make the next move. Although you believed Lu Han’s actions were purely out of bloodlust, he had ignited something deep between you both. A craving that you wanted satisfied since you first met.

And tonight, it would be fulfilled.

Before you could react, Lu Han swiftly pulled you towards him, crashing his delectable lips against your own. You let out a pleasantly surprised moan as you wrapped your arms around his neck. Greedy hands grabbed your waist, giving you an appreciative squeeze for how responsive you were. Wanting to feel more of you, Lu Han hoisted you effortlessly above his lap, making you straddle him on the soft couch.

Your hands ran down Lu Han’s chest, feeling the body that laid beneath his thin sweater. Gripping your hips tightly, Lu Han grinded his erection against your clothed center, causing you to gasp loudly and break the ardent kiss.

“Mmm…make that sound for me again,” Lu Han purred, repeating the erotic motion. You cried out louder, gyrating your hips in sync with his.

“Don’t tease me, Lu Han,” you whined.

Peppering your neck with feathered kisses, Lu Han moved his hands down to your thighs. Playing with the edges of your hitched dress, he chuckled when you wiggled on top of him.

“Tell me what you want, sweetheart,” Lu Han mumbled as he began to leave dark marks on your sensitive skin.

“I want you…” you blushed, not wanting to give an explanation of the sinful things you wanted him to do to you. Lu Han wasn’t having any of that.

Giving a sharp slap to your ass, you yelped causing Lu Han to smirk devilishly at you. You bit your bottom lip, annoyed that he wouldn’t get straight to the deed.

“You can do better than, Y/N,” Lu Han peered at you as he rubbed your sore cheek.

“Lu Han, you better fuck me especially after all the shit you put me-” you began before Lu Han cut you off.

“Stand.”

You looked at him questionably, worried that you had upset him. Not wanting to cause a problem, you got off Lu Han’s lap and stood between his spread legs. The next thing your heard was the sound of your panties being torn to shreds by Lu Han’s hands. You were stunned by his actions, but it didn’t stop you from getting wetter.

“Much better,” Lu Han responded before pulling you back on his lap, “but we’re not quite finished.”

He continued his small rampage on your clothing, ripping your dress’s straps and tearing your flimsy bra into pieces with such swiftness. He admired how vulnerable you looked, loving the way your breasts moved from your heavy breathing and how your nipples hardened against the cool night air. Cupping your left breast gently before giving a small squeeze, he dug his fangs into his bottom lip at the way your heart raced for him. Your blood just had to be delicious with all that adrenaline coursing through your veins.

Placing his other hand between your legs, you moaned when he dragged his digits along your soaking slit. His red eyes stayed focused on your face, enjoying as pleasure washed over your entire being. You dug your nails into his shoulders, gasping as he slid two of his fingers into your heat.

“Remember how you asked me what makes me happy?” Lu Han asked as his fingers pumped into you languidly. “As well as what I wanted?”

“Y-yes,” you stuttered. Your mind was in no shape to answer any questions.

“Add pleasuring you to the list of things that makes me happy,” Lu Han replied, rubbing your clit rapidly with his thumb, “because I want to do this to you _every_ night.”

You felt your walls spasm uncontrollably around his fingers as you reached closer to your peak. You bucked messily against his hand, no longer moving in tandem with his pumps. Just a little bit more and he would have you screaming his name for dear life into the night air.

Pulling his fingers from your wetness, you wanted to cry in utter frustration at his merciless teasing. You narrowed your eyes at him as he dragged his tongue along his glistening fingers. He watched you wickedly, reveling from both your anger and sweet taste.

“Everything about you is delicious,” Lu Han mentioned as he cleaned up his fingers with his pink tongue. “Just like I thought the first time I saw you.”

“Lu Han…” you whined, on the verge of tears. “I really need you.”

“Don’t worry, Y/N,” Lu Han cooed as he gave you a gentle kiss. “You’ll have me now.”

Moving slightly to give Lu Han some room, he began to unbutton his pants before pulling down the zipper. He wore nothing beneath, easily pulling out his hardened length from its uncomfortable confines. Adjusting yourself on his lap, you braced yourself as you felt him line himself under your aching heat.

Carefully, he pushed himself in, groaning as your walls welcomed him in a tight embrace. He captured your lips once more as he gave you a moment to adjust to the new sensation. Craving more, you bucked your hips into his before gyrating slowing against him.

Lu Han wrapped his arms around your moving body as you rocked languidly against him. He couldn’t believe you still wanted him, considering all that you had witnessed and had now known. He loved how your head fell back from the pleasure you were experiencing. He was amazed by the way your skin heated up from his touches and by how your body took him so well. Even more pleasing, he enjoyed watching the way your body moved as you got off to riding his cock, using him to achieve your release. Moving his hands to grab your ass firmly, he wanted to take control.

Nibbling on your lips and sliding his tongue into your mouth, Lu Han began pounding into your soaking heat. You held onto his shoulders, moaning loudly against his mouth as his thrusts became merciless. You felt him smirking against your lips, clearly pleased with the noises that escaped your lips.

Speeding up, Lu Han started thrusting into you at an inhuman speed, causing you to briefly wonder if he would break you in half. You had no choice but to hold on tightly to him as he fucked you senseless. Animalistic growls poured from his mouth as he pulled away from your lips to stare at you. You couldn’t break the gaze that he held you in, the small amount of fear that gripped your heart increased the euphoria that you felt from him stroking your walls harshly.

The agonizing sensation of Lu Han’s fangs piercing your neck and the mind-numbing orgasm that ripped through your body was indescribable. You didn’t realize you had screamed your ending to the stars as tears leaked from the corners of your eyes. Your sore walls massaged his cock roughly, causing him to coat your insides with his desire as he snarled against your broken skin.

You slumped over Lu Han’s shoulders, trying to remember how to breathe again. You felt exhausted and light-headed. You weren’t even sure if any of your limbs worked anymore or if you still knew how to form words. The only thing you seemed to register was Lu Han’s tongue gently caressing the bleeding wounds on your neck.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Lu Han said as soon as the bleeding had slowed. “I got carried away.”

Forcing yourself to sit up, you pecked his lips softly, causing him to stroke your cheek.

“It’s alright. It was a rather interesting feeling. You know…combine with my…well you know what I mean,” you admitted sheepishly.

Lu Han gave you a fanged smile, satisfied with how his relationship had progressed with you. You made him happier than any party he had thrown.

“Thank you for giving me another chance,” Lu Han spoke, “and not just seeing me as a monster.”

“I should be thanking you, Lu Han,” you replied as you held both of his hands in your own. “You didn’t give up on me even when I rejected you that night at the castle. I was just so scared.”

“I want to make this thing work between us,” Lu Han said with a small blush on his face. “I really care about you and I want us to continue building this relationship.”

“I feel the same way, Lu Han,” you smiled as you planted a kiss on both of his hands. “Let’s start over.”

When you had looked towards the future, you only saw yourself living in London, doing what you loved the most. Going out and having fun with friends was also an expected part of your future, but it was the unforeseeable parts that had truly flipped your life upside. Meeting Lu Han and Gina was a pleasant surprise, filling your life with such fun that you had never known existed. Although it had frightened you to learn that the two of them were vampires, Lu Han convinced you to live your life more freely without judging others. Therefore, you accepted that it was good to embrace others, despite what secrets they might have.


	4. Metamorphosis (Sehun)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I haven't updated this thing in 5 months. I'm really sorry. It's a bit hard to motivate myself, but I'm happy that I finished this next story. I hope you enjoy.

Tapping your foot impatiently under your desk, you eyed the time on your phone as you waited anxiously for your professor to end the class. Usually, class ended a bit early when your professor had nothing else to teach, but today he seemed to drone on and on about a topic you weren’t remotely interested in. You were almost tempted to collect your things and leave the class, but you didn’t want your professor to chew you out in front of the entire lecture hall.

You were in your final semester of college and you were pretty much dying at this point. It wasn’t that you were struggling in school, considering that you had a nice 3.5 GPA, but you were tired of the endless cycle of papers, exams, and lectures. You just wanted to put school all behind you and move on to bigger and better things. Too bad you were only six weeks into the semester out of the entire sixteen.

After a few more minutes of torture, your professor wrapped up his lecture and dismissed the class. Before you could breathe a sigh of relief, playful yells and laughter echoed above the quiet mumbling and rustling of students preparing to leave the room. You rolled your eyes in annoyance as you looked to the left side of the lecture hall and spotted five boys cackling like a pack of hyenas.

The first boy who was doubling over with laughter, as if he was in pain, was Park Chanyeol. He was the tallest out of the five boys and a music major at the school. He was well-known around the campus as he had participated in many of the school’s musical performances and could be found playing his guitar at the local bar on the weekends.

The next two boys whose obnoxious laughter filled the air were Kim Jongdae and Byun Baekhyun. Like Chanyeol, they had a love for music, but you weren’t quite sure what their majors were. In fact, it seemed like they spent most of their days on campus wreaking havoc and pulling off pranks. You were surprised they hadn’t been expelled for some of their more outrageous shenanigans.

Kim Jongin, the fourth boy in the group, was quite shy and was the complete opposite of the other boys that he hung out with. He was studying to become an artist and often practiced ballet in his spare time. His polite manners and charming attitude gained him much popularity among the female student body. He seemed like the only decent one out of his group of friends.

And last, but not least, the one boy whose presence got on your nerves and you barely knew him:

Oh Sehun.

Sehun was the youngest of the group, but he often presented himself as their leader. He was witty, always passing some kind of smartass remark during class, causing the people around him to snicker and often leaving the professor quite clueless as to what was so funny. Despite his bratty demeanor, Sehun was rather intelligent. His GPA put him in the top 15% class rank percentile in the entire school. Almost any question that was too difficult for most of the class to answer was met with a well-articulated response from him. It was such a shame that a bright person like him was so irritating.

Shaking your head at the group’s antics, you put away your things and zipped up the coat you had been wearing. Standing up from your seat and grabbing your bag, you walked through the narrow aisle and made your way up the stairs towards the exit. As you walked past the group, you missed the way a certain star student watched you and the way he blushed when his friends teased him once you had left the room.

You were grateful that the walk back to the dorm was very short. Despite it being in the middle of fall, the weather had taken a drastic drop in temperature, causing many people to pull out their winter coats much earlier instead of their fall apparel. It was also dark at this hour, seeing that your lecture finished around 7:30pm, so hardly anyone was hanging around the campus.

Reaching the dorm, you let yourself in and headed to the second floor where your room was located. Once you were finally in your room, you took off your coat and placed it on top of your computer chair along with your bag. Walking over to your bed, you threw yourself on it, sighing happily. It was Friday and the only assignments that were due for your classes next week were some readings. Even better, you had no roommate, so you could do whatever your heart desired.

Not planning to waste the rest of your Friday evening, you turned on your gaming console that you brought from home and went straight to the Netflix app on it. Now, all you just needed was to order some take-out and your night would be perfect.

After an eventful night of binge-watching one of your favorite shows, you got up around one in the afternoon after deciding it would be best to start your day. Once you had finished in the bathroom and put on some fresh clothes, you put on your coat before grabbing your wallet and keys. Certain that you had all that you would need, you left the dorm and made your way to the diner down the block from the campus.  

Opening the door and stepping into the diner, you hardly noticed the bell on the door jingle as the smell of savory meals hit your nose. Eager to please your hungry stomach, you began searching for an empty booth to sit in when you were caught off guard by the sounds of familiar, but annoying laughter.

“Really?” you mumbled under your breath when your eyes landed on Sehun and his group of friends. You grew even more exasperated when you saw that the only empty booth was the one next to his group.

Your thoughts were interrupted when your stomach growled in protest, demanding that it be fed immediately. Sighing in surrender, you began walking towards the empty booth not before catching Sehun’s eyes staring straight at you.

Lifting an eyebrow, you wondered what had Sehun so stunned. You stopped walking briefly to look behind you to see if someone crazy-looking had just walked in. Seeing that no one was there, you turned back to Sehun’s direction, only to find him still staring. As you continued your short walk to the booth, you noticed how flustered he became as you got closer and how he swallowed thickly once you sat down. To be honest, it was strange to see the great and mighty Sehun looking as rattled as he did. Was it because of you?

Nah.

Shaking the thought out of your head, you picked up the menu on the table as snickering started to emerge from the table beside you. Eventually, the snickering turned into full-blown laughter, hearing whines from Sehun as he told his friends to shut their mouths. You wondered what had him so embarrassed.

“Why do you guys always make so much noise when you come here?” said a waiter as he made his way over to you. “You’re disturbing the people in here.”

“Sorry, Minseok,” Jongin apologized sheepishly to the waiter. “We’ll go in a few.”

“It’s cool, Jongin. I know it’s not you,” Minseok smirked. “It’s just the little brats you’re sitting with.”

“Hey!” Baekhyun yelled, taking full offense.

“Shut it, Baek and let me do my damn job,” Minseok retorted before turning to you with a cute smile. “What would you like to order, miss?”

You blushed a little. The waiter was certainly cute and a nice distraction from the idiots next to you. You failed to notice how Sehun was glaring daggers into Minseok’s back, to the amusement of his peers.

“Um…could I have the BBQ Chicken Sandwich?” you asked.

“What would you like for a side?”

“Fries.”

“Alright, it should be ready in about fifteen minutes,” Minseok grinned before taking the menu from you. “Just let me know if these knuckleheads are driving you nuts.”

“Of course,” you smiled brightly before he walked away.

Pulling out your phone to play some games as you waited, you noticed some whispering coming from the table next to you, but you didn’t turn your head. You could hear Chanyeol rambling on about something, but you couldn’t make out what he was saying. It quickly came to a stop when a sharp “shut up” left Sehun’s lips, causing you to glance over to the group.

All eyes were on you except for Sehun’s, causing you to be slightly startled. The four boys seemed just as unnerved, quickly turning their heads in different directions as if they just hadn’t been staring at you. Your eyes shifted over to Sehun, who looked beyond irritated, but the pink flush in his cheeks had you wondering exactly what was going on with him.

Walking into your line of sight, Minseok gently placed your food on the table before you. As Minseok was asking if there was anything else that you needed, the whispers started up again causing you to change your mind about where you wanted to eat.

“I’m sorry. I know you just brought my food out, but could I have it bagged up to go?” you asked, looking over to the group cautiously.

Looking between you and the group, Minseok nodded quietly, picking up the plate of food that he just placed down.

“Follow me over to the counter so I can hand your meal over to you after I pack it up,” Minseok said, giving you a small smile.

As you got up and went over to the counter, you ignored the group of boys as they watched you silently. Sehun observed your interaction with Minseok intensely, noticing how brightly you smiled when Minseok said something to you, right before winking at you. Feeling his heart sinking a little, Sehun’s mind became plagued with negative thoughts. He wondered if he would ever have a chance with you.

Sehun’s crush on you had being going strong for the last year and a half ever since he had taken a history class that you happened to be in. The first time he had seen you, he remembered how his heart raced in excitement. You were just the prettiest girl he had ever laid his eyes upon and he swore he would burst into a flurry of butterflies the minute he heard your laughter when one of your peers had said something funny. Luckily, he kept it together there and then or else he would have been in a crapload of trouble.

Ever since that day, he had been enamored with you and wanted nothing more than to grab your attention. Unfortunately, he was too bashful and the thought of even talking to you wrecked him, so he did nothing. All he could do was just daydream about you and hope that someday you would come over and talk to him. But of course, that never happened.

As the semesters went by, he gained a little more confidence with the help of his close friends. The group of friends that he hung with was just a smaller fraction of a much larger group. They were somewhat like a pack, but not quite. Nonetheless, when they had heard the youngest of their group was lovesick, they gave him every type of advice on romance that they could think of. Once he considered all of his options, he took the rambunctious route of getting your attention, thanks to Jongdae and Baekhyun.

It did work. He had succeeded in getting your attention through the many semesters, whether it was in the classes that you had together or at any of the lounging areas on campus. The problem was that it led to you being increasingly irritated rather than piquing your interest in him.

Sehun was definitely smart when it came to academics, but when it came to wooing a girl, he sucked.

 _Horribly_.

Sehun balled up his fists in his lap as he watched you walk out of the diner. Even if by some miracle you two ended up together, could you truly accept the secret that he and his friends shared and live with it? Lost in his thoughts, he hardly noticed Minseok coming over and sliding into the large booth where they all sat.

“What the hell is wrong with you guys? You went and made the customer leave. She was really cute too…” Minseok sighed, crossing his arms as he looked at the five boys. His face softened when he noticed that Sehun had a sour look on his face. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Remember that girl you just called cute?” Chanyeol began as he put his arm around the shoulders of Sehun who was sitting next to him.

“Yeah?” Minseok questioned, curious as to what the taller boy was about to say.

“That’s the girl Sehun has had a crush on for like forever,” Jongdae answered.

“Y/N?!” Minseok asked in shock. “Oh crap, I’m sorry Sehun. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Sehun mumbled. “I know it wasn’t on purpose.”

“Thanks for understanding,” Minseok smiled, “But anyway, what did you guys do to make her leave?”

“I think we made her feel awkward with all the whispering and giggling,” Baekhyun answered, feeling somewhat bad for making you leave.

“I don’t think this route you picked for getting her attention is working though, Sehun,” Jongin added. “I really think you should just go up and talk to her. Just be yourself.”

“You know _full_ well that I can’t just be myself,” Sehun retorted, slightly angry.

“You know what I mean, Sehun,” Jongin replied calmly. “I mean personality-wise.”

“Even then, I still can’t talk to her,” Sehun said, wanting to bang his head against the table in frustration. “I’ll become tongue-tied in front of her and end up looking stupid.”

“Listen, it can’t hurt to try. You won’t know what will happen if you don’t give it a shot,” Minseok said encouragingly to the younger male. “And if you get rejected, I promise you it won’t be the end of the world.”

“But what if she finds out what he really is…or what we are and gets scared?” Chanyeol asks, not out of fear, but worry for Sehun.

“We will deal with it as a group if it comes to that point,” Minseok replied coolly.

“Like how?” Sehun asked, a little unnerved by Minseok’s answer.

 “We have…how should I say it, diplomatic ways of handling these type of situations,” Minseok said with reassurance. “No one will be hurt if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Oh, thank God,” Baekhyun said dramatically, worried that his friends were some type of diabolical creatures. “Anyway, the time is ticking, Sehun. It’s the last semester of college for the five of us. You need to confess or else you might never have the chance again.”

Baekhyun was right. Sehun needed to get his shit together and tell you straight up how he felt about you.

He just hoped you wouldn’t reject him.

~~~~~~

The weekend flew by quickly and once again, you found yourself back in class jotting down some notes for your upcoming mid-term exam. It was rather awkward coming back to class this time around ever since Sehun and his friends had been acting strange at the restaurant. You did your best to ignore them as you focused on your professor’s words, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching you. Hesitantly, you turned your head only to find Sehun staring at you. He blushed a little, looking back at his notes, but you noticed that he wasn’t writing anything down.

 _‘Why does this boy keep looking at me?’_ you frowned. _‘Does he like me or something?’_

About half an hour later, your professor ended his class for the day. After stretching your arms above your head, you began to pack up. As you were getting ready to leave, Sehun was too busy contemplating whether he should go over to you and confess.

“Dude, she’s about to leave!” Chanyeol said, alerting Sehun of the current situation.

As you began walking up the stairs past the group, Sehun stood up immediately, startling you with his sudden movements. You stared at him, wondering why he was acting so weird.

“Um…h-hi!” Sehun stuttered, causing you to look at him strangely.

“Hey…” you said warily as you watched his face grow red.

“I…uh…I,” Sehun began as he fumbled with his words.

Taking too long to say something, he sighed in frustration as he no longer could keep eye contact with you. It was embarrassing trying to talk to you especially with his friends watching the whole thing play out.

“I’m sorry,” you said gently as you took in his nervous appearance, “but I really have to go. I have to start studying for this exam because it seems like it’s going to be difficult.”

“Y-yeah…” Sehun said defeatedly, ashamed of his flustered behavior.

Quickly walking away, you missed the longing gaze that Sehun gave you as you exited the lecture hall. Sitting back in his seat, he covered his face with both of his hands.

“Dammit,” Sehun mumbled as Jongin came over to put his arm around him.

“I know, it was tough Sehun, but you did it,” Jongin smiled. “You at least said something to her.”

“Yeah, it’s better than staying silent,” Jongdae chimed in as Chanyeol and Baekhyun nodded their heads in agreement.

“I bet she thinks I looked stupid though,” Sehun replied glumly.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Chanyeol reassured. “Plus, you’re the brightest person in this class, so I doubt that.”

“Oh hey,” Baekhyun said as he pointed to your seat. “Y/N must’ve dropped her scarf before she left.”

“I’d say that’s a good opportunity to try and speak to her again,” Jongin encouraged. “Maybe you should give it back to her. Based on her scent, she doesn’t seem that far away.”

Entertaining the thought and deciding that it was a good idea, he grabbed his things before going over to pick up your scarf from the floor. Even though he was still rattled from his attempt to speak with you, he was feeling somewhat determined to talk to you again. Giving his friends a quick wave, Sehun ran out of the lecture hall in search of you.

When he reached outside, the cold air hit his face, but it didn’t faze him much. As he ran through the campus he wondered if you were feeling chilly without your scarf. Maybe he could take you out for coffee just to warm you up? Did you like coffee? Random strings of thoughts crossed his mind as he followed your unique scent. After a few minutes, he saw your figure not too far from where he was. Doubts once again settled in his being, slowing him to a halt.

 _‘What if she doesn’t want to talk to me?’_ Sehun thought. _‘Wait! Maybe there’s another way to give it back to her without having to bother her.’_

Making up his mind about what he would do, Sehun carefully placed your scarf on the grass before him. He quickly glanced around his surroundings and once he saw that no one was around, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to settle his nerves.

The subtle cracking of joints and bones came from his body as his eyes began to take on a golden glow. He groaned lowly at the odd shifting of his body as it formed into something inhuman. The clothes that once surrounded his figure slowly disintegrated into billions of golden speckles that quickly disappeared into nothingness. Once he was pleased with his transformation, he took off running in your direction.

Almost a minute away from your dorm, you were stopped short when you heard several loud yips breaking the evening silence. You turned around to see what was making those noises only to see a small puppy racing towards you. You tilted your head as the puppy stopped in front of you, wagging its tail excitedly.

“Where in the world did such a cute puppy like you come from?” you asked as you looked for anyone who might have lost their pet. “Did you run away from someone?”

The puppy yipped happily and spun around in circles, causing you to coo in adoration. Although this was somewhat embarrassing for Sehun, he was pretty pleased with the attention he was receiving from you. Whatever he could get for now, he would take.

Even though you knew you shouldn’t, you stooped down to pet the adorable puppy who was quickly turning your heart into a pile of goo. When you went to touch the puppy, it jumped back swiftly and got into a playful stance. Before you could reach out again, the puppy sped away, back in the direction where it came from.

“Oh no! Hey, come back!” you yelled, not wanting the puppy to get away. You wanted to see if it had an owner, but you weren’t sure if you should follow it during this time of night. Someone could be using the puppy to lure you somewhere.

You noticed the puppy hadn’t gone too far. It had stopped at a certain distance, appearing to pick up something long and purple. The item caused the puppy to trip several times, getting somewhat tangled in whatever it was holding, but it eventually made its way back to you.

Your eyes widened when you realized it was your scarf in the puppy’s mouth. Dropping the scarf in front of your feet, the puppy sat down and looked at you expectantly with it crystal blue eyes.

“My scarf! I didn’t even know I dropped it,” you grinned happily, but still amazed that the cute puppy brought it over for you. “Thank you, sweetie. Man, dogs are really the best.”

Sehun barked his “welcome” although he knew you wouldn’t understand. His tiny little heart skipped a beat when you bent over to rub his head and then proceeded to scratch just under his ears. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation as he wagged his tail.

“It seems like you have no owner, since I don’t see a collar,” you mentioned, surprising him as you picked him up in your arms along with your scarf. “Since it’s cold out here, I guess I’ll sneak you inside the dorm. I still gotta find out whether you have an owner. Just in case.”

 _This_ was something that Sehun did not plan. He should have just dropped the scarf and ran off, but no, you just had to entrance him with your smile.

 _‘Dammit,’_ Sehun cursed mentally as he tried to figure a way out of this situation. He didn’t want to bite you to break your grip on him, so he settled for wiggling. That of course was not successful.

“Hmmm, how am I going to sneak your cute little butt past the RA?” you pondered as you softly rocked the puppy in your arms. “You know what? My coat is huge so I guess I can put you in there.”

Sehun stiffened in your arms. Exactly where in your coat were you planning to hide him? Before he could figure out how you were going to pull off this ridiculous plan, you already unzipped your coat and placed him against your chest. After zipping up your coat, making sure that it wasn’t zipped all the way so he could breathe, you made sure to hold him carefully.

You pouted when his muzzle poked through the space that you left open for him to breathe and heard him whine. You rubbed his back on top of your coat to soothe him.

“It’s okay, pumpkin. I’ll let you out soon,” you cooed.

Walking into the lobby of the dorm slowly, you looked around to see if you could find the RA that lingered about the place. Once you spotted him, you noticed that he was too preoccupied with reading a magazine. Sneaking past him quietly, you quickly made your way up the staircase and through the hallway towards your room. Using one hand to pull your keys out of your pocket, you unlocked the door and went inside. As soon as you closed and locked your door, you unzipped your coat and gently placed the puppy on the floor.

“We made it!” you grinned, looking at the puppy who watched you nervously. “Now what should I do with you? So much for getting a head start on this exam.”

Sehun kept his eyes on you as removed your coat and placed down your bag near the door. Once you had finished kicking off your shoes, you sat down in front him, urging him to come over to you. Feeling a little more cautious now that he was in your territory, he slowly made his way over to you, unsure of what would happen next. He never thought that he would have ended up alone with you like _this_.

You began playing with him, causing him to grow excited. Sometimes when he shifted into different animals, it was hard to resist the behaviors that were attributed to those forms. Although he still thought logically like a human, it was as if a temporary clouding of judgment was casted over him. He played along with you, occasionally nipping your fingers and jumping onto your lap as if he wanted to attack you. He had to admit, he was having fun even though he wished he could be just as playful with you as a human.

After a couple minutes of playing, Sehun settled in your lap, panting loudly. As you rubbed his back, you mused over some things.

“For now, I think we should come up with a name for you,” you thought out loud as you watched the puppy. Sehun rested his head on top of your lap as he listened to your voice.

“You know, you remind me of Sehun’s group of friends,” you began, immediately catching Sehun’s attention. “Maybe I should name you Baekhyun or Jongdae because they’re like hyper little puppies.”

Sehun let out a small growl, causing you to look at him funny. There was no chance in hell that he was going to be named after one of them.

“No? That bad?” you questioned your puppy. “Well, I can’t name you Jongin because he’s too quiet…how about Minseok? That guy was pretty cute like you.”

Sehun growled louder. He was already jealous at how Minseok made you swoon at the diner a couple days ago. You were slightly exasperated with your puppy’s behavior.

“Okay, okay. I’ll think of another one. Chanyeol definitely won’t work because that dude is akin to a Great Dane and you are certainly not one,” you giggled as your puppy looked amused with your description for his friend. “Maybe Sehun?”

Your puppy wagged his tail excitedly at the name. You raised your eyebrow at your puppy’s reaction.

“Are you sure?” you asked quizzically. “I mean that boy is pretty annoying and a bit weird.”

Sehun stopped wagging his tail and whined sadly as your words struck him. So, it was true. You didn’t like him at all. He just knew he was foolish for getting his hopes up like that. Why did he have to act like such a moron?

“But I mean…he’s not so bad I guess. He’s really smart and I do admire that in him, but he needs to chill with the remarks and showing off in class. And he’s so loud…well that’s just Baekhyun and Jongdae actually. The dorks,” you began rambling as Sehun listened. “And even though I hate to admit it, he seems pretty cute. He was trying to say something to me today, but it’s like he couldn’t get it out. I’ve never seen him so flustered before, but it was kind of adorable.”

 _‘Oh my God. Oh my God!’_ ran through Sehun’s brain a million times. You thought he was cute as well as smart? He needed to thank whatever divine force that was out there in the universe for this moment. Just when he thought his affections for you couldn’t grow any bigger, it went and did just that.

After spending the night at your place, which Sehun thought was amazing because he got to snuggle against you as you slept, he waited patiently for you to leave for class. Earlier in the morning, you had gotten up because you wanted to buy some pet supplies for him as well as search around for his owner. Once you had returned from running your errands, you groomed him and made sure to leave plenty of food and water for him. You also placed some newspapers on the floor in the bathroom and prayed to God that he was house trained.

Picking him up and giving him a hug goodbye, you left your room for the day. Once he was certain that you wouldn’t return, he quickly shifted back into his human form as the clothing he wore the previous night materialized back around him. After rolling the kinks out of his neck and shoulders, he opened the window in your room slightly. Deciding that flying back to his place would be much quicker than walking, Sehun once again shifted, this time into a crow. Flying up onto your window sill, he turned around, giving your room one last glance before stretching his wings and flying out through your window to the outside world.

~~~~~~

Sehun sat in the lecture hall with his friends as they waited for class to begin. He told them all about his eventful night, leaving his friends cracking up from the sheer absurdity of the story. He provided them with good material that would leave them teasing him for the next few days. Nonetheless, they were happy that Sehun had some “quality time” with you even if it wasn’t in the way he had imagined it.

As they continued to chat about other things, you entered the room and made your way down to your seat. As you passed Sehun and his friends, you threw them a glance, causing you to lock eyes with Sehun. Sehun’s cheeks reddened as he watched you, but decided to give you a small smile after remembering how he spent the night with you. You in turn, became slightly bashful yourself, but returned the smile nonetheless before sitting down. You face grew hotter when you heard the not-so-quiet cheers coming from Sehun’s friends.

Eventually, class came to yet another end and you began packing up as you thought about the cute puppy waiting back in your room. You also wanted to try and get some studying done, but you weren’t sure how you were going to achieve that with such a lively pup. You just hoped to find its owner soon so the two could be reunited as soon as possible. If not, you were in for a hectic semester.

Before leaving the class, you gave Sehun and his friends a small wave, causing them to wave back eagerly. Sehun bit his lips as he tried to keep down an excited smile as he watched you leave. His heart thundered in happiness, knowing that he was getting somewhere with this crush, even if it might take some time. How could a girl say so little and make him feel absolutely wonderful?

As you made your way back to the dorm, you wondered what had gotten into you. At first, it was like you couldn’t stand Sehun and his friends as they had always caused so much ruckus, but now you were waving at them and smiling in Sehun’s direction? This didn’t make any sense to you, but thinking back to those few encounters where Sehun appeared flustered in front of you might have been the reason. Maybe you thought it was cute because it was a different side to him. He always seemed confident in front of everyone, but around you, he just fell apart. Shaking your head, you made your way inside the building and to your room.

A small smile graced your lips when you thought about the puppy waiting on the other side of your door. Opening up your door, you were greeted with an empty room. You squinted in confusion, wondering why the room was so chilly. You looked up to see that the window was opened slightly, but you knew you didn’t leave it like that this morning. As you walked inside, you noticed that the food and water that you left for your puppy had been untouched. You called out to your puppy, wondering if he had gone into the bathroom. You peeked inside, only to find it just as empty with no pup around.

You began to panic. You knew you had locked the door before you left so there was no way that your puppy could have gotten out. Unless the RA was walking around and heard barking from your room and alerted someone to remove the puppy. Still, it didn’t add up considering that the RA hadn’t mentioned anything when you had walked into the building. There was also the fact that the window had been opened. Although you were on the second floor, there was no physical way someone could climb up unless they had a ladder tall enough. Still, your window faced a public area where anyone could see any odd activity, so it made no sense.

You felt tears hit your cheeks. You didn’t know why you were crying since you had just found the puppy yesterday, but you were worried that something bad had happened to it. Leaving your room, you set out to search for the lost puppy as you went to every floor in the dorm to see if your puppy was running around somewhere. You didn’t want to ask anyone if they had seen him just in case you got in trouble for violating the no pet policy at the dorm.

Having no luck inside of the dorm, you decided to venture out onto the dimly lit campus to find your lost puppy. You knew it was going to be impossible to find the dog since the campus was quite huge, but you were determined to find him. Once you had stepped out, you began calling out your puppy’s name again, although not too loudly to disturb others that might have been around. As you were caught up in your search, you failed to notice Sehun passing by.

Sehun had stayed behind in class to discuss something related to an assignment with the professor. Leaving the lecture hall later than usual, Sehun was making his way over to his own dorm when his ears picked up on your voice. Looking around to see where you were, he noticed you over by some bushes searching frantically for something. Noticing your distress, he bounded over to you, but somewhat worriedly.

“Y/N?” came Sehun’s voice, causing you to stumble back in small fright.

“S-sehun?” you stuttered, somewhat surprised to see him around.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked concerned, noticing tears occasionally making their way down your face.

“No…” you said, your face scrunching up with sadness. “I can’t find my puppy.”

 _‘Oh shit,’_ came Sehun’s thoughts when he realized how badly he had messed up. He completely forgot that staying in your room wasn’t exactly a one-time deal. Swallowing thickly, he tried his best to play it off.

“Do you need any help?” Sehun asked, feeling guilty that he had put you in this state.

“Are you sure?” you questioned, unconvinced that he really wanted to help you.

“Of course!” Sehun reassured, a bit too quickly. “I mean, if you don’t mind…”

Looking him over to see if he was being sincere, you gave him a small nod. You embarrassingly explained the situation to Sehun, especially since your puppy happened to share his name. Sehun of course, already knew what was going on since he was the one who caused the problem in the first place. Regardless, you both set out to find your “lost” puppy.

The two of you scoured the large campus, searching many of the school’s public outdoor spaces in hopes of locating the small pup. You both even questioned a few students that you came across on the campus about whether or not they had spotted him. After about two hours of searching, you both gave up, knowing that it was very unlikely that you would ever see the puppy again.

Noticing that you were getting chilly, Sehun suggested walking you back to your dorm. He thought it best for you to get some rest and he also wanted to make sure that you got back safely. Agreeing with him, the both of you walked wordlessly back to your dorm. The walk felt as if it took forever. Once you both arrived at the entrance, you both stood there quietly for a few seconds before you broke the silence.

“Thanks, Sehun…you know for helping me out,” you said, feeling a concoction of emotions. Sehun shook his head and gave you a gentle smile.

“No need to thank me. I just wanted to help,” Sehun answered honestly although he still felt terrible about the whole thing. “It’s the least I could do.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, not understanding what he meant by the last part.

“W-well I mean, I know I’ve been making you feel a bit awkward the last few days,” Sehun began, even though it wasn’t the reason for making the previous statement. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” you smiled as your perspective of him began to change. “You’re really not so bad after all, Oh Sehun.”

This caused Sehun to start grinning, thankful that you were beginning to see him in a more positive light. Still, he had to figure out a way to fix this mess. He knew you were hurting from the “loss” of your puppy.

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for your puppy, just in case he turns up somewhere,” Sehun added, causing you to nod.

“Well, I know it’s getting late. I haven’t even had the chance to start studying with all this running around I’ve been doing,” you mentioned, not wanting to take any more of his time. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah,” Sehun replied, his familiar feelings of bashfulness returning. “Have a good night.”

Later that night, Sehun laid in his bed, contemplating what he could do in regards to your so-called puppy issue. He thought about lying, simply just saying that he saw some people walking around with your puppy and that he figured they were the original owners or he could just say he had no luck finding your pet. Oddly, the idea of lying to you again didn’t appeal to him, but wasn’t he already doing that? He pretended to help you with your search, knowing full well that he was indeed that puppy.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. One that he thought was incredibly foolish, knowing that eventually it wouldn’t end well, but he ached to see you smile again and wanted to be with you, even if it might not be as his human form.

_‘Goddamit…’_

~~~~~~

You awoke the next day, feeling something wet repeatedly hitting your cheeks. Quite alarmed by the weird sensation, you groggily opened your eyes only to find familiar blue eyes staring straight into your soul. You sat up slowly, unsure whether you were dreaming or if this was actually happening. Apparently, you must have been staring too long because a small yip broke you out of your daze.

“Sehun? But h-how?” you questioned, trying to understand how this happened. Picking him up, you examined him to see if he was hurt or anything, but he was perfectly fine.

The emotions from last night came flooding back as your eyes began to fill with tears. Your puppy stared at you, tilting its head at your behavior. A small sob left your mouth, causing the puppy to place his front paws on your chest so that he could lick away your tears. You hugged the puppy, knowing that it was a miracle that he was back in your arms, but it still bothered you as to how he got back into the room.

Sehun wagged his tail, enjoying how you had wrapped your arms around his small frame. He was even more glad that he was able to make you smile again, but at what cost? How long would he be able to keep up with this circus-like act? The question had been killing him last night ever since he snuck his way back over to your dorm. He shifted his body into the small form of a garter snake, making it easy to slither under the cracks of the lobby door. The stairs were a bit tiring, but he slid his way up swiftly and eventually under your door before shifting into your puppy.

From that day forward, Sehun became your pet. As much as he wanted to be more than just that, he sucked it up and rolled with his ridiculous plan. Every time you had gone out for the day, whether it was for class or to run errands, he would shift back into his crow form and leave your dorm in order to get his own errands and assignments done. It was beneficial in that you hardly came back to your room until it was the evening or night.

It was even better in that Sehun and you began to talk more. Ever since he helped you search for your puppy, he would come over to see how you were doing. It left his friends surprised about his drastic change in attitude, considering that he used to be an utter mess whenever you got near him. Eventually, you and Sehun started hanging out, occasionally with his friends, who you realized were pretty chill despite their constant craziness. You both also spent late nights in the library, completing assignments or studying for quizzes or exams. It was strange how well you both clicked with each other and soon enough you found yourself developing your own feelings towards him.

But, not everything was going well in paradise.

As the weeks flew by, Sehun found it increasingly hard to keep up with the game he was playing. He was constantly keeping track of your scent, making sure that you never got back to your room before him. Never in his life had he shifted several times in a day, making mad dashes back to your dorm to ensure that you would find a puppy waiting at home for you. It had gotten to the point where it was mentally and physically taxing for him, leaving him less focused in class and causing aches and pains through his entire body.

On the other hand, it was becoming a challenge for you to manage a puppy, your assignments, and a social life. You weren’t exactly the best at multitasking. You constantly found yourself speed-walking back to your apartment after studying or hanging out with Sehun and company. You were worried that you had been neglecting your puppy and that he was becoming lonely. You noticed as of late, your puppy was always sleeping when you got home or had very little energy to play. Additionally, several weeks have gone by, but your puppy hadn’t gotten any bigger. It was concerning for you since you never located the owners nor did you have the money to take care of it. You knew that eventually you would have to give up your pup in order for him to have a chance at a better life. 

You found yourself hanging out at the diner one evening with Sehun and his buddies. It wasn’t as crowded, considering that it was late and in the middle of the week. You were at the counter, busy chatting with Minseok about something as Sehun sat with Baekhyun, Jongdae, Jongin, and Chanyeol at their usual booth. As you carried on your conversation with Minseok, Sehun’s friends took the opportunity to ask him about his exhausted state.

“You look like you’ve been hit by a truck,” Baekhyun started off, grinning at Sehun. “Has Y/N kept you that busy?”

“Shut up, Baek,” Chanyeol jumped in, trying to stay on topic. “Anyway, what’s going on with you? You look like a mess.”

“I’ve been shifting too much,” Sehun answered leaning his head on Jongin’s shoulder.

“How come?” Jongdae asked, curious as to why Sehun needed to shift so much. “You know that it’s not good to overdo it.”

“Well, remember that time I told you guys I shifted into a dog to return Y/N’s scaft?” Sehun started as he looked at them nervously. “I kind of ended up being her pet.”

“What?!” Sehun’s friends collectively gasped, causing you and Minseok to look over before returning to your conversation.

“And how exactly did that happen?” Jongin asked, shocked by his friend’s confession.

“Remember how I stayed the night with her? I left the next day because I had to get some assignments done and go to our evening class. When class was over that evening and I was heading back to our dorm, I saw her outside looking distressed. I realized she was upset because of me,” Sehun explained carefully.

“Because you were the dog and she thought you ran away,” Jongin concluded. “So, all this time you’ve been shifting into a dog just to keep her happy?”

“But that’s not healthy, for either of you,” Jongdae added. “You got to stop doing that to yourself and her. You’re both going to get hurt if you continue.”

“I know it was foolish of me to do this. I don’t know why I did it. I just wanted to make her happy,” Sehun replied.

“It’s because you love her, you idiot,” Baekhyun said as if it was as clear as day. “Plus, there are plenty of other ways to make her happy. Just confess your love already.”

“Who’s in love?” you asked, sliding into the seat next to Sehun. The boys were slightly spooked, too caught up in Sehun’s drama to have noticed you.

“Oh no, we were just talking about Baekhyun and Jongdae’s love for pranking others,” Chanyeol replied, recovering quickly.

“Yeah, exactly how the hell do you both get away with causing so much chaos?” you questioned the two playful boys.

As you and the others listened to how scheming Baekhyun and Jongdae were, Sehun sat quietly. He knew Baekhyun was right. Sehun was certainly in love with you, therefore he decided that he would come clean to you about everything, but he knew there was a huge chance that he might lose you forever. He was tired of deceiving you and exhausting himself until his body had trouble keeping up with his constant shifting. All he wanted to do was the right thing.

Later that night, you and Sehun said your goodbyes to his friends and walked down the street back towards the campus. You were chatting with Sehun about random things, innocently unaware of the truth that he was about to drop on you. He did his best to hide his turmoil, not wanting to alarm you and cause himself to chicken out. When you both arrived at a more isolated spot, Sehun stopped you, causing you to wonder if he was okay.

“Is everything alright, Sehun?” you questioned. “Did you lose something?”

“No, it’s not that,” Sehun replied. “I actually have some things that I need to confess.”

Your eyes widened, your face becoming flustered as your heart beat nervously against your ribcage. Was he going to say what you secretly hoped for the past few weeks? Nonetheless, you replied to him.

“Okay, what is it that you wanted to tell me?” you asked as you struggled to get your words out.

“For the longest time, I’ve had a huge crush on you ever since we had history class back in junior year,” Sehun admitted, his face growing pink as he went on. “I thought you were beautiful and the reason why I’ve been so obnoxious these past few semesters was because I just wanted to catch your attention.”

“Sehun, you didn’t have to go through all of that trouble,” you smiled coyly. “You could’ve just talked to me.”

“I know. So much for being smart,” Sehun chuckled anxiously. “It’s just that every time I wanted to talk to you, I was afraid that I’d trip over my words in front of you, just like that first time in the lecture hall.”

“Really?” you asked in amazement, surprised that you had such an effect on the star student.

Everything that he had told you had now all made sense. The whispers among his friends, the odd stares, and Sehun’s sudden awkwardness towards you had flooded back into your mind. Overwhelmed by the giddiness that he filled you with, you suddenly hugged him, burying your head into his chest.

Completely stunned by your unexpected behavior, he looked down at you, wondering if this was all just a dream. Reality told him otherwise when he had heard the five words he had been waiting to hear fall from your lips.

“I like you too, Sehun.”

Sehun wrapped his arms around you tightly, burying his face into your hair. It had happened. He was able to confess the feelings that he had held onto for so long, only to have them reciprocated by the girl he loved. No other time in his life could compare to this very moment, one he would treasure for the rest of his days. He finally had you in his arms.

But he had one more secret to reveal to you, one that could potentially destroy this short-lived romance between the two of you. He wasn’t anywhere close to ready to drop this bomb, but he knew he had to do it. He didn’t want you to be stressed anymore.

“There’s also something else I need to get off my chest,” Sehun whispered, causing you to look up at him.

“What is it?” you asked, still feeling blissful from Sehun’s confession.

Slowly he released you, causing your mood to change to that of worry. You watched as he backed up, struggling to look you in the eyes.

“Remember how we searched everywhere for your dog, but we had no luck finding it?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah…” you replied, confused as to what he was getting at.

“Then when I came over to check on you the following day, you told me how your dog showed up in your room and you thought you were losing your mind?” Sehun added, causing you to nod your head at the memory. “I don’t know what better way to put this, but…”

“But what?” you asked apprehensively.

“I was that dog. It was the reason why the dog, well I, went missing,” Sehun said, hoping that you would believe him. You furrowed your eyebrows at the statement.

“What?” you asked, not convinced that you heard things right. “Is this a sick joke, Sehun? Did Baekhyun and Jongdae put you up to this?”

“No, I swear this isn’t a joke,” Sehun replied, sounding a little desperate. “I’m completely serious.”

“Sehun…” you began, not sure of what to say to such an outrageous remark.

“I’ll show you,” Sehun said quickly, causing your frown to deepen.

Before you could say a word, a sickly crack emanated from Sehun’s body, causing you to stiffen in terror. Slowly, the limbs attached to Sehun’s body contorted unnaturally into odd positions, ones that would cause bodily harm to any human being. Claws pushed out through fingers as facial structure, teeth, and ears elongated. His form, once tall, had begun to reshape itself into a much smaller body as fur broke through the pores of his skin, ripping away whatever flesh held his body together. Once his body had finally cracked and settled into its new form, the clothes that he wore slowly floated away as glitter, leaving behind the beautiful puppy that you had come to love.

Except, the only feelings that you had in your stomach at the moment was horror, sickness, and complete numbness.

Whining out his uncertainty to your frightened demeanor, Sehun took one tentative step forward. A shrill screamed left your throat as you struggled to back up, only to trip backwards onto your behind. Although Sehun had stopped moving after your initial reaction, you scrambled backwards to get away from him. Your racing heartbeat echoed throughout his sensitive ears as he watched you hyperventilate. His heart was crushed, watching the tears form in your eyes. He had once again put you through some sort of misery.

You sobbed uncontrollably, as you watched Sehun’s small body sag in despair. He attempted to move towards you again, but you only scooted away, causing him to wince and whine pitifully. You watched his ears and tail drooped as he backed away in complete shame at your rejection.

He knew you would have never accepted him. He knew that from day one and had been preparing for it, but no amount of preparation could save him from the way you looked at him. He was nothing more than an abomination in your eyes.

No longer able to deal with the situation, Sehun ran off into the darkness, leaving you paralyzed with fright on the ground. When you were certain that he was gone, you got up and ran back to the dorm. Once you got inside, you ignored the looks that the RA and some students who were lounging around gave you. You took out your keys and fumbled with them for a moment before unlocking the door to your room. When you entered, you realized that Sehun was being truthful.

Your puppy was no longer in the room, just the food and toys that you had bought for him. Another sob threatened to come out, but you bit your lip to keep yourself quiet. This was all because of stupid Sehun and his friends. He just had to be the one to make everything complicated for you. You were just trying to graduate from school and now he decided to flip your world upside down by distorted his body in such a grotesque way. You wanted so badly to hate his guts for making you question your sanity, but the worst thing of it all:

You couldn’t hate him.

You were absolutely angry and beyond scare, but you couldn’t do it. You couldn’t hate the boy that you had come to adore, whether as a student or puppy. It was all so twisted, but you couldn’t control your affections for him. Which led to your question.

How were _you_ going to fix this?

Even if you succeeded in finding him, what would you said? How would a relationship work out between you and Sehun, considering that he wasn’t quite human?

You stood in your room for several minutes, contemplating on what you were going to do in this strange situation. Tired of mulling over your “what ifs” and “but hows,” you left the dorm in search for Sehun. You needed answers.

Running back out of the dorm, you went in the direction to where Sehun ran. You eventually ended up outside of the campus, noticing the familiar area in which you were standing in currently. You were a few blocks away from the diner, having a gut feeling that he had potentially gone there. Catching your breath and steeling yourself for an encounter with him, you took off towards the diner where it all began.

When you finally arrived at the diner, you could see Sehun at his usual table next to Minseok. Minseok was busy rubbing Sehun’s back while Sehun couldn’t contain his tears. You knew it was your fault that he had ended up like this. You broke his heart by rejecting him for who he really was. Fueled by your resolve to fix things with Sehun, you knocked on the glass door, catching the attention of both boys.

You saw Sehun’s eyes widened momentarily, completely dazed by the fact that you were outside standing in front of the diner door. You heart sunk, when he hung his head, no longer able to look at the girl who had hurt him. Your eyes moved over to Minseok who was now making his way over to you.

Opening the door, you were surprised that Minseok didn’t have a look of anger on his face, but one of pity. He stepped aside to let you in, locking the door afterwards.

“He’s pretty crushed about your reaction, Y/N,” Minseok started. You looked at Minseok, realizing that he was in on the whole thing.

“And exactly what is the proper way to react, Minseok?” you began. “Are you like him too?”

“I don’t know, Y/N,” Minseok admitted sheepishly. “And yes, I’m just like him.”

“Okay,” you said with a shuddered breath. “Can I just…can I speak to him, please?”

“Yeah. You both have to settle this issue anyway,” Minseok said. “I’ll be cleaning up in the kitchen if you both need anything.”

After Minseok left to give you and Sehun some privacy, you walked over to Sehun and sat in the seat across from him. Sehun kept his head down, but you noticed how tense his shoulders became. It was like he was hoping that you would go away, so that you wouldn’t cause him anymore pain.

You sighed, having difficulty trying to form the words that you wanted to say to him. Where could you begin? What could you ask him without further insulting him?

“I’m sorry,” tumbled unexpectedly from your lips as Sehun rose his head to look at you. His eyes were completely bloodshot, making him look as if he hadn’t slept in days.

“Why?” came Sehun’s wary question. He wasn’t sure if you were lying to him out of fear, but he sensed that you were being sincere. If you were truly afraid, you wouldn’t be here talking to him.

“Because I hurt you,” you responded.

“You did more than just hurt me, Y/N. You _rejected_ me,” Sehun replied with an edge of anger.

“Sehun, tell me exactly how I should’ve reacted in that situation?” you bit back, Sehun’s tone somewhat upsetting you. “I just asked Minseok that same question. Can you answer it for me?”

Sehun bit his lip, growing frustrated at the fact that he wanted to cry again. He knew he shouldn’t be angry with you. Your reaction was justified in that it wasn’t a daily occurrence in which humans saw a person shift right before their very eyes. He knew shifting was gruesome as well as a disturbing process, but it allowed him to do things that mere humans dreamed of. He just wished that you could take him as is, but he couldn’t bear placing that kind of pressure on you.

“I don’t know,” Sehun said defeatedly. “I’m not sure what to say.”

You both sat there for a minute, just absorbing all that has happened over the past few hours. Nonetheless, you still had a job to do and it was to fix this thing between you and Sehun.

“You can start by telling me exactly what both you and Minseok are,” you said, leaning back into the soft cushion of the booth as you eyed him expectantly.

Sehun glanced at you momentarily, puzzled as to why you cared to ask that question. Didn’t you hate him?

“We’re shapeshifters,” Sehun said carefully as he tried to gauge your reaction to his statement. “It’s not just me and Minseok either. The rest of my friends are as well.”

You nodded your head to the information, just accepting everything that he saying. There was no point in denying it, especially after what you saw tonight.

“Okay,” came your simple response.

“Just okay?” Sehun asked, taken aback by your rather calm demeanor.

“Yep. I mean, why would I doubt your words after all that has happened?” you answered.

“True,” Sehun replied. “What else would you like to know?”

“Can you change into other forms besides a dog?”

“Yes, I’m able to change into a multitude of different animals and occasionally other humans.”

“I guess that’s pretty cool…” you mentioned, trying to look at his strange abilities positively. “But doesn’t it hurt? Like when your body contorts like that?”

“Not really,” Sehun said shaking his head. “Just when I overdo it.”

“Wait…so were you hurting all this time when you kept changing between human and puppy form?” you asked with concern. Sehun had mentioned being tired over the past few weeks, but you figured it was due to staying up late and doing assignments.

“Yes,” Sehun said softly, causing your heart to soften.

“Because of me?” you asked, knowing that it was exactly the right answer.

“I just wanted to interact with you in some way and just make you smile,” Sehun said as his face warmed up from being shy.

“You know, this whole situation could have just been avoided if you gave me back my scarf directly,” you chuckled softly as you understood exactly how much Sehun cared for you.

“Technically, I did,” Sehun said, a small smile forming on his face.

“Next time I drop something, give it back to me as a human, or maybe something crazy like an elephant,” you replied, causing you both to burst out in laughter.

“I’ll make sure to do that next time,” Sehun said, trying to stifle his laugh. “Maybe it’s a good thing I turned into a puppy though.”

“How so?” you asked, interested as to what he meant.

“You got to see me for who I really was, a shapeshifter,” Sehun sighed in relief, “but even better, I finally got to talk to you.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” you replied, not wanting to admit it despite knowing that he was right. “I mean…I still do like you if that means anything at this point.”

“Really? After all the crap I just put you through?” Sehun asked incredibly.

“More or less,” you smiled, putting whatever doubts Sehun had to rest.

“So…do we still have a chance to work things out?” Sehun questioned, hope glistening in his eyes as he waited for your response.

Without a word, you leaned over the table between you and Sehun and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Sehun touched the spot where your lips had been, shocked that you had become so bold, although he wasn’t one to complain when it came to you.

“I’d say so, Oh Sehun.”

Who would’ve thought you’d end up with a shapeshifting boyfriend?


	5. Teeth (Kris)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, my motivation kicks in months at a time, so please forgive me. Anyway, I still can't believe I wrote so much for this chapter. I ended up writing 26 pages for it. My thesis paper wasn't even that long. Nonetheless, please enjoy!

_“Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."”_ \- Genesis 1:26

 

Your back slammed violently against the forest floor as a horrible roar bounced against the barks of the surrounding trees. You grunted in pain from the impact, but you held tightly to the metal crossbow that had defended you numerous times against your foes. The thundering of heavy footsteps raced towards you, seeing as the enraged creature was determined to rip you apart.

It was just too bad that it happened to run out of luck.

Sitting up quickly and swiftly aiming your crosshairs between two golden eyes, you fired the sharp silver bolt that had been waiting to bury itself into the creature’s skull. The massive beast crashed to the leaf-covered ground, skidding towards you as the dirt beneath it parted in half. Watching as the dead creature stopped inches away from your feet, you let out the breath that you had been holding. Your hunt for the evening had finally come to an end. 

Standing up slowly, you winced slightly as a dull ache radiated from your torso’s side. You had sustained a gash near your ribs from your fight, but it wasn’t life threating. It was more annoying if anything.

As you continued to look over your minor wound, the sounds of leaves crunching alerted you. Arming yourself with your crossbow again, you aimed in the direction from where the noise was coming from. You came across another pair of golden eyes, but this time, you lowered your weapon knowing that you weren’t in any danger.

The creature slowly approached the one you had killed, sniffing it gently as pitiful whines left its mouth. Remorse filled your heart as you watched the large beast begin to lick the face of his former pack member, as if it would awaken the dead creature.

The sound of bones cracking and shifting filled both of your ears as the dead werewolf before you turned back into its human form. It was a woman around your age, probably a purebred werewolf considering that she had no bite marks along her body. Nonetheless, it was unfortunate that you had to kill her since she had been terrorizing a nearby village.

“I’m sorry that I killed your friend, but you know why it had to be done,” you began as the mourning werewolf looked at you strangely. “Still, I suggest you leave the area quickly since other hunters will be looking for me. They wouldn’t be happy to see you alive.”

The werewolf tilted its head at you, looking at you oddly as if you were speaking another language. However, you were speaking the truth. Other hunters would kill him on sight and he had no plans of dying just because his former pack member couldn’t control her bloodlust.

Looking at his former pack member one last time, the werewolf headed back into the forest, leaving the two of you alone in the middle of the woods.

Arriving at your clan’s hideout, you dreaded seeing your father, although you loved him dearly. You knew he would say something about your wound, despite knowing that you could take care of yourself during a hunt. The problem wasn’t so much that you had gotten hurt; that risk always came with the job. It was more about your actions during a hunt.

You were one of the best werewolf hunters in your clan. You had been learning how to slay terrible beasts since you were young, considering that it was normal for children born within clan to start training around the age of 6. You were intelligent when it came to the art of hunting and although you didn’t have brute strength like your fellow hunters, your wisdom made up for it. Nonetheless, there was just one aspect that caused other hunters to view you as weak:

Your compassion for the very beasts that you killed.

A few hunters looked up to you due to your skills, but others found you strange or even despised you for your treatment towards some werewolves. Humans naturally hated werewolves since the creatures had been killing humans from the beginning of time, therefore the slaughtering of werewolves had become necessary. Regardless of the fact that hunters had been killing the beasts and protecting human lives for thousands of years, you found it in your heart to spare werewolves who lived peacefully. Your actions only led you to being mocked viciously by some other hunters and you were given the label “Werewolf Sympathizer.”

Still, you didn’t see your compassion towards werewolves as weak. In fact, you thought it was essential when it came to such a tedious and dangerous job. The world was full of good and evil in all respects and it wasn’t always difficult to determine whether a living being had committed a benevolent or vile act. It was only right for you to believe that if humans were to pass judgment on any creature, it should be fair to all creatures and not just among themselves.

It was hurtful that others did not share the same perspective as you and it caused you to feel isolated from the other hunters in your clan as well as like a stranger in your own home. Regardless, this was the path that you had chosen and you were not afraid to walk it alone. Some sacrifices were necessary for the betterment of the world.   

Once you reached inside the hideout, you and the other hunters parted ways wordlessly. The hunters went to celebrate their victory in the large dining hall as you headed towards your father’s studies.

Your father, the leader of your clan, oversaw the daily operations within your organization and guided you and your fellow hunters throughout your missions. He was the pride of your clan and protector of all those who fought alongside of him, but like any parent, he worried about you the most. He saw how many of the hunters, especially the ones he hunted with, treated you when they thought he wasn’t around. They wouldn’t dare stand in his presence and belittle you in front of him, but that didn’t stop him from putting them in their place when he had caught them in the act.

Still, your father was very concerned about how you had spared some werewolves instead of putting them down. He couldn’t understand for the life of him why you killed some and showed mercy to others. To him, they were only agents of chaos and destruction that needed to be exterminated. What if the werewolves that you spared decided to take advantage of your kindness, only to come back and kill the very people the clan protected?

What if they killed you?

Hearing a subtle knock on the door, your father called for you to come into the room.  

“Good evening, Father,” you greeted as you watched the older man look up from the book he had been reading on his desk. “What are you reading?”

“I’m looking at spells that might be useful for us,” your father smiled gently. “I think you would be interested in it.”

“I’ll make sure to check it out later,” you replied, returning the smile.

“How did the hunt go?” your father asked, causing you to shift slightly. He noticed your subtle movement, but said nothing since he had already known what you had done.

“I successfully killed the werewolf that had terrorizing the nearby village, but sustained a minor injury…” you began.

Your father immediately got up from his chair, eyes scanning over you for the aforementioned wound, but you held your hand up to reassure him that you were alright.

“I’m fine, Father. It’s nothing that the healers can’t handle,” you said.

“Did anything else besides the injury occur while you were out?” your father asked, still concerned about your well-being.

“I think we both know what happened after I killed the first one,” you answered cryptically, knowing exactly where the conversation was heading.

“That can be either one of two things,” your father frowned. “You killed the second werewolf or you spared its life. Which one was it?”

“I spared it,” you said somewhat defiantly. “It wasn’t involved in the attack on the village.”

“That’s not the point, Y/N,” your father sighed exasperatedly, although there was a tint of anger in his voice. “For all you know, he could have been terrorizing another village.”

“We don’t know that and we haven’t heard of any other attacks from the other villages,” you replied. “If that was the case, you know I would have taken him out as well.”

“I don’t understand why you keep doing this,” you father said as he shook his head in disbelief. “These werewolves are considered monsters for a reason. They enjoy hunting us down like prey and destroying whole villages at a time. Why is it so hard to see that they are inherently evil and deserve none of our mercy for what they have been doing to us for thousands of years?”

“You can’t be serious?” you asked incredulously. “Haven’t humans done the same exact things? We hunt animals and even criminals down like prey, sending dogs after them so they can be torn to pieces. From the beginning of time, humans have started wars, pillaging and murdering people that oppose them over the simplest of ideas or beliefs. Humans can be just as wicked as the same werewolves that come into our homes and kill us, but werewolves can, and are, just as good as humans who choose to live peacefully. So, who exactly are we to pass judgment on other creatures when we struggle to do the same with our own?”

“So, tell me then,” your father yelled, “How exactly did that type of logic help you in tonight’s fight, because from the looks of it, you still got injured?! All because you choose to spare a wolf!”

“You really don’t listen to me, do you?” your voice no longer holding all the rage that it had before. “I got hurt because I put my life on the line to defend people against a creature who couldn’t control its bloodlust and had actually killed people. The werewolf that I spared? He didn’t even lift a claw in my direction and based on the evidence that we gathered from the previous attack, he had nothing to do with the killings. That’s why I let him live.”

“Y/N, I do listen,” your father responded just as gently, saddened that you both were always at odds when it came to hunting, “but things aren’t always that simple. You and I both know that.”

“No, Father,” you shook your head. “Sometimes they are.”

No longer having anything else to say, you walked out of the room and left your father alone with his conflicted heart.

~~~~~~

The dull sound of a metal bolt hitting a chunk of wood barely reached your ears as you practiced firing your crossbow. Since your wound from the previous night had been causing you some pain, you decided it would be wise to take a break from hunting. Your father instead headed out with his party of men to take out the latest threat at another nearby village. Apparently, a pack of werewolves had been spotted in the forest closest to the village.

You hadn’t spoken much to your father after the argument. Seeing your father always led to some type of disagreement between the two of you and frankly, you were tired of it. You couldn’t even remember a time you both had a peaceful conversation and enjoyed each other’s presence. Although you both loved each other, your relationship with your father was strained. You doubted that you both could go back to having a normal father-daughter relationship again.  

You were getting ready to aim at the center of the wooden block to fire another bolt, but the sound of drunken laughter and screaming had stopped you. Dropping your crossbow, you frowned, confused by the odd mixture of noises. Heading towards the double doors that separated the training room from the entrance hall, you were stopped suddenly in your tracks when a strained, but powerful roar resounded throughout the hallway. Your heart began racing, knowing exactly what had made that sound. Grabbing some silver bolts and loading them into your crossbow, you pushed the doors opened and readied your weapon to take down the source of the noise. 

Your heart threatened to leave your body the minute you were greeted by the sight before you. You watched as your father and his men dragged in a massive creature with fur as dark as the very soil it ran upon. Several silver chains were wrapped and tied around its neck and limbs like a gift that was hastily put together without any care. The creature was clearly in excruciating pain as the chains chaffed and burned the flesh beneath the fur. You saw how the creature weakly struggled against it bonds, dragging it claws into the tiled floor in an attempt to stop itself from being pulled further into the hideout.

Never in your life, had you witnessed something so cruel and degrading. You felt anger flare up in your body as your father and his men laughed at the werewolf’s agony. Your eyes roamed over the faces of the other hunters in the hideout. Most of them had their weapons trained on the werewolf, ready for a fight if necessary. Others looked on in shame or fear, not wanting to involve themselves in the situation or face being mocked by your father’s drunken men.

Holding your crossbow in a death grip, you struggled to put away your fury in order to focus your thoughts on the safety of your clan. Walking towards the werewolf, you positioned yourself at a safe distance in front of it and aimed your crossbow at its head. The werewolf snarled wildly as its eyes of molten gold trained themselves upon you, but you didn’t flinch. Instead, you shifted your eyes over to your father.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” you barked out towards your father, not in the mood for any foolishness.

“What does it look like we’re doing, princess?” Savion replied haughtily as if you were too stupid to understand what was going on.

“Shut it, Savion. I was talking to my father,” you answered sharply.

“I don’t take my orders from you, little girl,” Savion slurred angrily. “I only take them from your father.”

“Of course, you do,” you answered, “because you don’t have a brain of your own to use.”

Before Savion could retort and insult you further, your father cut him off.

“We brought the wolf here for you,” your father answered, although you could tell the alcohol hadn’t fully worn off.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” you yelled. “You just put everyone in this hideout in danger because of your carelessness!”

“Isn’t that something you do all the time, Wolf Sympathizer?” Mace mocked. “Don’t you go about sparing the lives of these savage beasts as if they wouldn’t go back and kill someone else?”

“Why would I explain anything I do to you?” your replied to your father’s other comrade. “You’re so far up my father’s ass, you don’t even know what’s happening most of the time.”

“That’s enough, Y/N!” your father yelled sternly. You glared in your father’s direction, but waited for him to talk.

“Mace is right,” your father began, causing you to clench your jaw. “You compassion towards these animals are putting the clan and others in danger. You’re also putting yourself in harm’s way.”

“Father, I’m not putting anyone in-” you refuted, but your father cut you off.

“Because of your actions, we have decided that this wolf here will be your slave,” your father announced, taking you aback.

You could hear the gasps and whispers from the other hunters in the room, but your father’s men only chuckled. To see the shock and embarrassment written on your face provided them with much amusement.

“Don’t be foolish, Father,” you said, trying to stay cool despite the fact that you were deeply mortified in front of everyone. “If the wolf hasn’t harmed anyone, please let him go.”

The men laughed louder, finding your request utterly pathetic and humorous. You father only stared at you as if you were the one who had gone mad.

“Either you accept your gift like a grateful daughter or we’ll spill this beast’s blood all over this floor,” Savion smirked, holding his silver sword above the neck of the werewolf who was now lying weakly at his feet.

“You’re torturing him,” you stated as your icy façade began to melt at the sight of the pitiful beast. “He’s been exposed to the silver too long.”

“You’re too soft, Y/N,” your father spoke with disappointed laced in his voice. “You can’t even see how dangerous these monsters are.”

Nodding his head towards Mace, your father signaled his comrade to do something unknown to you. Everyone in the hallway watched Mace cautiously as he headed in the direction of the room that was used for enchanting and spellcasting. A few seconds later, he came back into the entrance hall with a large golden collar. It had appeared plain at first, but you noticed the ominous purple runes that had been magically etched into the hunk of precious metal.

“We have been working on an enchantment spell that allows a wolf to heed the commands of its owner, ensuring that it will not be a danger to the humans around it,” your father explained. “This is how we will exterminate the werewolves that have been plaguing our world for centuries. We will use them to kill off their own when we hunt them down.”

As the rest of the men in your father’s hunting party removed the chains from the neck of the weakened wolf, Mace replaced the chains with the shining collar. The wolf could only whine, not having the strength to rip the hunter’s arm off with its bare teeth.

“Please, stop this madness, Father!” you pleaded once more, feeling sickened by this whole situation. “Let the wolf go.”

“If you do not accept your gift, I will kill it myself!” you father bellowed angrily, frightening the other hunters with his drunken behavior.  

“Alright! I’ll…I’ll accept it,” you submitted, panicked that your father wouldn’t hesitate to kill the werewolf. You lowered the crossbow that you had been holding up for the past few minutes.

“Good answer,” Savion smirked. You wanted nothing more than to slam your crossbow into his stupid face. “In order to create the bond between you and the beast, you need to recite the spell to activate your hold over him.”

“What is the spell?” you asked hesitantly, not wanting to go through with it.

“Repeat after me,” you father said, causing you to glance at him briefly. **_“I now declare my ownership of this creature who will obey my every whim and command with unfaltering loyalty.”_**

**_“I now declare my ownership of this creature who will obey my every whim and command with unfaltering loyalty,_** _”_ you repeated after your father.

**_“This creature will forever be in my service, unless I choose to return back to it its freedom,”_** your father finished.

You repeated the last line of words that your father had stated, causing the golden collar to glow brightly before dying down.

“No matter how hard you try, the collar cannot be taken off, so don’t bother,” Mace mentioned. “It also adjusts to his shifts, so your pet won’t be choking himself anytime soon.”

“But the spell mentioned that the wolf can be given his freedom,” you replied, trying to figure out what information you could get from him.

“Don’t you worry about that,” Savion answered. “It’ll be stuck with you for a long time.”

“The enchantment spell has proven to be a success,” your father stated proudly. “I think this calls for a celebration!”

The pack of already drunken men cheered loudly, not caring that they already had had enough to drink or the fact that they had embarrassed both you and the wolf in front of your whole clan. The room began to clear out as your father, his comrades, and the other hunters went to the dining hall or back to whatever work they were doing. Before Savion could leave, you quickly called out to him.

“Before you head to your alcohol-fueled celebration, I have one question to ask you.”

“And what is that?” Savion asked, not wanting to waste another minute in the room with you and the beast.

“Why didn’t the spell bond my father to the wolf, considering that he used the words?”

“Let’s just say it was a good thing that you got injured last night. A little blood magic seemed to do the trick when creating the bonding spell,” Savion grinned, enjoying the fury that lit up your eyes.

Walking away, Savion left you in the entrance hall alone with the werewolf and the few guards who continued to stand watch as if nothing had happened. The room suddenly felt cold and lonely, but you were convinced that it had always been that way.  

Your father had made a mockery out of you and the wolf and allowed his comrades to do the same. No one in the hideout came to any of your defenses and that was what truly hurt you. How could you continue to stay in a clan who only saw you as a weakness?

Hearing a subtle whine from the injured werewolf, you put your feelings to the side so that you could deal with them later. Placing your crossbow down on the floor, you slowly made your way towards the wolf. Cautiously, you kneeled down in front of the werewolf, causing it to growl.

“Steady there,” you reassured the agitated werewolf, “I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want to remove the chains around your limbs so that I can examine your wounds.”

The werewolf studied your face for a couple of seconds before yielding to you with uncertainty. Although you were a bit surprised, you thanked him quickly for his cooperation and proceeded to remove the heavy chains that wrapped around his body. 

Once you had finished freeing him from the chains, you stood back a little to make sure he wouldn’t try anything that would cost him his life. You watched as the massive werewolf breathed heavily, tired from the ordeal that had taken place. You knew he was weakened terribly by the prolonged exposure to the silver, but werewolves were hardy creatures that bounced back from the severest of injuries. Even though you knew he would recover, your heart still ached for him.

The familiar snaps of joints and bones shifting alerted you, signaling that the werewolf was changing back into his human form. Thick fur slid off his body, revealing the smooth flesh that hid beneath it. Dagger like claws receded back into paws as the other defining characteristics of a wolf slowly disappeared. Finally, the massive shape of the wolf shrunk and shrunk until it was about the size of a tall human male.

The man laid vulnerably on the tiled floor of the entrance hall, just as naked as when he had first entered the world. The reddish marks that adorned his pale skin stood out loudly, just like the jet-black hair that covered his features. All that was left to see was the face that belonged to werewolf you now controlled.

“You need to come with me to the infirmary so that I can help you,” you spoke lowly, hoping that he would listen to you.

The man continued to lie on the floor, ignoring you. You didn’t know whether it was from embarrassment, fear, or just plain indignation. It was mostly likely all three, but you were not going to let his actions deter you.

Convinced that this man would not follow you to the infirmary, you told him to stay put. You didn’t want to leave him in the room alone with the other hunters, but you knew that you needed to get him some clothes as well as medicine for his wounds. Quickly, you ran off to the infirmary, grabbing any supplies that you needed as well as any spare clothing that you could find. After a couple minutes, you immediately made your way back over to the man and placed everything on the ground next to him.

“I’m going to start treating your wounds, so please don’t move too much,” you said gently, not wanting to upset the injured man.

As you began to work on the man, he spared you a weary glance, wondering why a hunter like you would be helping him. He found you rather odd, considering that you had pleaded for the other hunters to free him. He knew your clan was notorious for killing any werewolves that crossed their path, so why were you here with him, cleaning his wounds when you could have left him there like all the other hunters?

“Why are you helping me?” came the man’s strained voice. He hated how weak he sounded in front of a human.

“Simple. Not everything in this world is evil,” you said calmly as you massaged some ointment on his wrist, causing him to wince.

“I could hurt you,” he fronted, trying his best to intimidate you.

“Yes, you could,” you answered, wrapping the same wrist with some bandages, “but you didn’t although you could still hurt me even in this state. Silver can do some real damage, but wolves are known to bounce back quickly when silver is removed.”

The man said nothing, knowing that you had spoken the truth. Remaining still, he allowed you to continue treating his wounds. There was no point in fighting back considering his injuries and the fact that he was surrounded by hunters.

“What is your name?” you asked quietly, making sure to concentrate on your work. A few minutes went by, but his voice broke the silence once more.

“Yifan…” the man answered hesitantly.

“Yifan, have you killed any humans?” you asked seriously, taking a moment to watch his face.

Frowning, Yifan stared at you, wondering why that was suddenly important.

“No,” came his sharp answer.

“Good,” you replied, not breaking eye contact with him. “At least I won’t have to kill you.”

~~~~~~

It had been two weeks since you were forced to be Yifan’s master. It was outrageous that you were made to control the very creature whose kind your clan hunted for centuries. Although you had difficulty coming to grips with your current situation, it was even harder for Yifan to accept.

Yifan was an alpha in his pack. Strong, fierce, and brave; nothing could intimidate him or his pack of brothers. It was in his very nature to roam free, not to be tied down by the laws of man or any other creature. To suddenly be captured and made submissive to the likes of a human made his inner wolf scream out in rage. Even more hurtful, he was separated from his brothers and he knew full-well that they would be just as distressed as he was.

It was understood by Yifan that you wanted no part in this situation as well. He saw how badly you were treated by your fellow hunters and even your father, but you were still a hunter. He did not feel sorry for you in the slightest and wouldn’t dare be used like a tool to hunt others of his kind. Only he had the right to choose which wolves he would fight and kill.

He would not bend to any human and he certainly wouldn’t bend to the likes of you.

Evening had rolled around and you found yourself getting ready for another hunt. Your wound had healed and you were anxious to leave the hideout, considering how toxic the place had become for you as well as Yifan. Ever since that night, your father tried to apologize for his drunken behavior, claiming that he let his frustrations control his actions and that he never meant to hurt you. Nonetheless, the damage had already been done, so you choose to ignore him and his presence. After a while, he stopped trying to speak with you, knowing that he needed to give you the time to heal and sort out your feelings.

Adjusting your gear, you made sure that you had everything that you needed before you headed out. Although you didn’t want to, you had to bring Yifan along with you on your hunt, but that was better said than done. Yifan wasn’t very fond of you and did everything he could to resist you. Still, you refused to use any commands to bend him to your will. It felt wrong to do so.

“Yifan, we need to go. I need to stop these two wolves before more people get hurt,” you said walking out of the armory.

“Then you can go,” Yifan answered rudely. “I don’t want anything to do with this.”

“Listen, I would leave you behind, but I don’t think that would be a smart idea,” you reasoned. “There are hunters, especially my father’s men, who would love to have the chance to take you out. I rather that not happen.”

“I’d like to see them try,” Yifan replied defiantly. “They wouldn’t stand a chance.”

After those words left Yifan’s mouth, Savion and Mace walked by, eyeing the two of you. Amused grins covered their faces, knowing that you were struggling to keep control of Yifan. You choose to ignore the two conniving men, but Yifan stared them down darkly. The smirks fell off the two men’s lips, but they simply turned their heads and kept walking.

“I don’t like those two bastards,” Yifan growled lowly.

“Yifan,” you sighed tiredly, “I don’t have much time left. Please come with me.”

Yifan turned his eyes towards you, noticing the stress that overtook your face. He watched you for a bit, arguing with himself as to what he should do.

“Fine,” came his answer, “but I won’t be fighting along with you.

“Thank you,” you said, quickly spinning on your heels so that you could get to your next destination.

Even though you did not show it, his words had stung you. You understood why he wouldn’t fight alongside of you, but it bothered you that no one wanted to fight by your side unless they were forced to. This lonely road of yours seemed to be getting harder and harder to walk on every day. 

Leaving the hideout and walking into the darkness of night, you and Yifan tracked down the two wolves that had been involved in the slaughtering of a farmer who lived on the outskirts of the woods. You knew it was highly possible that the two wolves were still in the area since it had become their hunting ground. Using the moonlight and your own senses to guide you, you eventually came across the home of the farmer who was killed.

Readying your crossbow, you parted from your wolf companion to search the area for any signs of the two wolves. You were slightly on edge, possibly because you were still stressed from everything that had happened. It was even more awkward carrying another werewolf around with you and you worried that Yifan’s scent would scare away the ones you were hunting.

Yifan was also on high alert, sniffing the air for foreign scents and listening for sounds that might alert him to any wolves. Right now, was the perfect opportunity for him to run away and find his pack. He knew he could easily put some distance between the two of you, but there was the issue of the collar. He needed the spell that would remove it from his neck, but it had to be done of your own accord. On top of that, if he decided to forsake removing the collar and ending up finding his pack, hunters from your clan might identify him and kill him.

Conflicted about his predicament, Yifan almost missed the two scents that passed his nose. Moving quickly, Yifan sniffed out your scent and started jogging in your direction. He might as well see what you were capable of.

As you continued to search for the two wolves, you heard footsteps rushing toward you hurriedly. Turning your head to see if it was Yifan, you were surprised to find a snarling white werewolf racing towards you. Launching itself into the air, you quickly jumped out of the way to avoid being smashed to bits by the creature. You immediately got to your feet and started shooting your silver bolts at the wild werewolf.

The werewolf dodged the bolts with ease and attempted to charge at you once more. As the wolf raced towards you with bared teeth, you stood your ground and fired two bolts. Both bolts landed on the werewolf, digging themselves into his flesh, but they did very little to slow him down.

As the wolf got increasingly closer to you, you cursed silently and attempted to fire another bolt at the wolf. You pulled the trigger, but nothing fired. Your eyes widened, knowing that you were now in a dire situation and before you could move, the furious wolf jumped at you once again in order to bring its claw directly upon your flesh.

Before you could feel your skin being torn to ribbons, you felt a body slam itself into your side, taking you and the unknown force to the ground. You gasped loudly, trying to suck air back into your lungs as you tried to recover from your dizziness. When you were able to focus, you saw Yifan lying next to you.

“What are you doing, Yifan?!” you yelled, angry at the werewolf for jumping into your fight.

“I’m saving your life, you stupid woman!” Yifan shouted back. “He was about to kill you!”

“I could have dodged him myself,” you lied, not wanting to look weak in front of Yifan. It was bad enough that your fellow hunters viewed you as such.

Getting to your feet, you quickly fixed the crossbow that got jammed and prepared to fire at the white werewolf who now stood on his powerful hind legs.

“Let me help you!” Yifan said, knowing that the werewolf was much stronger than you.

“Stay out of it!” you countered back. “You didn’t want to help me before, so just stay put.”

“You’re making a terrible mistake,” Yifan said, frustrated that you wouldn’t take his aid.

“I said stay out of it!” you commanded angrily, causing the runes on Yifan’s collar to flicker. 

Yifan’s eyes widened, shocked that you actually gave him a command and felt his body heed to your words. Before he could say anything else, Yifan watched as you ran towards the snarling wolf.

“Y/N!”

Ignoring Yifan’s calls, you shot more bolts at the wolf, landing precise hits on the creature. It only enraged the wolf, causing him to swipe at you viciously. You moved swiftly, missing each jab until one landed on your crossbow, sending it flying from your hands. You rolled away from the wolf and pulled out the sword you carried on your back as soon as you got to your feet.

Taking the offense, you began slashing your silver sword at the wolf, causing him to step back and evade the hits. As you fought with the beast, Yifan continued to struggle against the command that held him still. Out of all the times you could have commanded him to do something, you just had to choose this one.

Watching as you got knocked onto your back, Yifan began to panic when he saw the werewolf land on top of you and lean over to sink his canines into your face. You held up your sword, trying to put up some kind of barrier between you and the wolf, but Yifan knew you wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

“Y/N! Don’t be foolish! Let me help!” Yifan cried out loudly, causing you to finally yield to him.

“Help me, Yifan!” you screamed, immediately breaking the hold that was on Yifan.

Within several seconds, the massive creature was pulled off from you and slammed into a nearby tree. You heard a blood-curdling roar, realizing that it came from Yifan’s mouth. You stared in astonishment, watching as the two colossal wolves battled it out with claws and fangs.

Tossing the white wolf onto the ground, Yifan put the wolf into the same position that it had you in previously. Without any warning, Yifan sunk his teeth into the wolf’s neck, causing it to howl out in anguish. Pulling back and ripping a chuck of flesh out, Yifan spit out the meat from his steel-like jaws.

Walking slowly towards both werewolves, you stopped in front of the creature who laid dying on the ground. You looked at it sadly, your eyes running over its white fur that was coated with blood. Yifan watched you quietly, wondering why there was a look of remorse on your face. Exhaling lowly, you looked over to Yifan, locking eyes with his golden ones.

“Thank you for saving my life,” you said softly, causing Yifan to give what looked like a small nod of his beastly head.

Suddenly, Yifan began snarling, causing you to become startled by his abrupt change in behavior. You watched as his eyes shifted to something behind you and you turned around instantly to see what it was.

Small whines could be heard coming from behind a nearby tree. Carefully, you made your way over towards the tree with Yifan trailing close behind. The pitiful whimpers grew louder as you got closer to the tree. You signaled Yifan to stop moving, causing him to growl lowly. Anxiously, you peered around the tree and gasped when you found what had been making the noises.

“It’s a child…” you whispered, but Yifan had heard you perfectly.

The brown-coated wolf was about your height, trembling nervously when its eyes connected with yours. Your heart sunk, knowing that you might have killed its father or someone who was close to them.

“I’m so sorry,” you began, causing the smaller wolf to whine loudly. “If that was your parent, I’m sorry that we had to kill him.”

Yifan gazed at you, shocked by the sincere words that tumbled from you lips. You were a hunter that killed werewolves, but here you were, apologizing to a wolf because you felt sorry for taking away someone who might have been precious to it.

“I’m not going hurt you, if that’s what you think,” you continued. “I know it was the other wolf that most likely killed the farmer. Maybe he was teaching you how to hunt or maybe even forced you into this, but I can assure you that it’s possible to live peacefully without having to kill other humans.”

You felt a bit awkward, knowing that both wolves were probably scrutinizing you and your words. Regardless, you knew that this was the right thing to do and hoped that your words could bring some type of comfort to the young wolf.

To your surprise, the young wolf slowly approached you, causing Yifan to growl warningly. Despite the fact that the wolf was smaller, it could still be a danger to you. Staring at Yifan pointedly to knock it off, you turned your attention to the smaller wolf who was now crouched before you.

Cautiously, you placed your hand in front it to show that you meant well. The wolf responded by pushing its snout forward to sniff you. After sniffing you for a couple of seconds, the young wolf placed a small lick on your hand, causing you to smile. The poor kid…

Backing away slowly, the young wolf’s eyes shifted to the dead wolf who had now changed back into his human form. Walking past you and Yifan, the young wolf headed towards the dead man and sat next to him. Whimpering once again escaped its throat as it wept for the man.

“What do you think is going to happen to him?” you asked Yifan, despite knowing that he wouldn’t be able to vocalize his thoughts in his current form.

Yifan honestly didn’t know, but what he did know was that you weren’t as bad as he initially thought.

And that’s how your hunts with Yifan continued to go. Without fail, you killed every werewolf that had committed something atrocious. Whether it was killing humans or ransacking villages just for the sheer fun of it, you had taken them out. Still, you showed mercy and kindness to the wolves that didn’t want any part in the bloody rampages. You even went so far as to give water to a dying wolf who had been betrayed by members of his pack.

All of these actions showed Yifan that you were serious about doing what was morally right and he began to view you positively. Your relationship between each other began to improve as you both fought side-by-side against other wolves. You never placed any commands on him again and he started to treat you as an equal, both on and off the battlefield. You and Yifan had such an odd relationship with one another, but it was comfortable. Within due time, you both placed your trust within each other, knowing full-well that this would help you both to survive in a place where you were despised.

Nonetheless, there were still many obstacles that you both had to face. To the dismay of Savion and Mace, as well as the other hunters in your father’s party, you and Yifan worked spectacularly together. Taking down werewolves had become significantly easier for the two of you, causing you to outshine many of the other hunters. It even irritated Savion and Mace further that you both continued to spare wolves that you both deemed as “good.” Therefore, some hunters had taken to mocking you both openly and even spitting at your feet when they passed by. They no longer cared for your father’s scoldings.

As for your father, your relationship with him continued to be strained. You still hadn’t spoken to him since that horrible night, only meeting with him to report how your mission had gone. One time, when he had attempted to chat with you to see how you were, you cut him off, telling him that you weren’t interested in his words. The only thing you wanted to hear from him was the spell to free Yifan from his imprisonment, but you knew that you wouldn’t get it from him.

Only time would tell how things would continue to work for both you and Yifan.

~~~~~~

The autumn wind rustled the branches of the trees, causing colorful leaves to float down onto the damp grass. It had rained earlier in the morning, but you and Yifan decided to venture out into the woods for a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t often that the two of you had a break from your work.

A whole season had gone by since you and Yifan decided to work together as a team. The two of you were now well acquainted with each other’s fighting strategies, helping you both to smoothly take care of any hunts that came your way. It became so natural, that it amazed you and Yifan as to how far you both went to support one another. Even certain habits started to become more noticeable to both you and Yifan.

Yifan was a proud wolf, not wanting to vocalize when something was bothering him, but you could read him like a book. You noticed how at night, Yifan had a tendency to pace back and forth, as if he couldn’t keep his body still for one second. It was especially worse when the moon was full. It was simply his way of showing that he wanted to go out for a run or to hunt for a meal. Yifan was also known to whine lowly when he was bored or stuffing his face with venison, whether he was in human or werewolf form. Unknown to him, you thought it was somewhat endearing.

On the other hand, Yifan noticed how quiet you were. Despite the fact that you hardly spoke to many of the other hunters, you usually kept to yourself. He often wondered if you were always like this, choosing only to talk when it related to hunting or when you both simply needed to communicate with one another. It was almost as if you didn’t want to share anything about yourself, like you were trying to protect yourself from whatever it may be. It only made Yifan more curious about you, the woman whose compassion knew no bounds.

Deciding to rest from your walk, you found a large tree stump to sit on. Yifan sat next to you, taking in the scenery before him. It was quite peaceful, reminding him of days spent watching his rambunctious brothers rolling in the dew-covered grass after a morning run. Frowning at the memory, Yifan shifted his eyes towards you, only to find a similar frown plastered on your face.

“Tired?” Yifan asked, wondering if you were alright.

“A little,” you replied with a small smile.

“Do you want to head back?” Yifan asked. “We don’t have to stay out here if you don’t want to.”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” you smiled, feeling grateful that someone was concerned about you. “Plus, you’ll only get antsy if we go back.”

“That’s not true,” Yifan huffed, crossing his arms. “I do not get antsy.”

“Alright then, Yifan,” you chuckled, causing the wolf to raise an eyebrow.

“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh,” Yifan said, a small grin rose on his lips.

“I laugh…” you retorted softly, playing with your fingers.

“You’re fidgeting too!” Yifan pointed out, laughter escaping his lips.

“Shush, Yifan!” you said, but your reaction caused him to laugh louder.

You found his laughter to be infectious and after a few seconds, you found yourself chuckling as well. After you had both calmed down, you found Yifan staring at you with a smile on his face.

“What?” you asked, feeling yourself growing a little warm.

“You should laugh more,” Yifan replied a bit shyly. “It’s nice.”

You both stared at each other for a little longer, not saying a single word, but something felt noticeable different between Yifan and yourself. It was more than just the comfortable silence that you had both grown accustomed to, but you weren’t quite sure as to what it could be.

Shifting your thoughts to something else, you broke the trance that you and Yifan seemed to be caught in. Yifan, on the other hand, continued to keep his eyes on you.

“Yifan, can I ask you a question?” you asked quietly.

“Yeah?” Yifan answered.

“What was your life like before this happened?”

Looking away, Yifan mulled over the past, wondering what he should tell you. He never really spoke to you about his life with his pack since he had been guarding that side to him. If you were another hunter, he would have remained silent, fearing that his brothers would be hunted down.

“It was a tough one, but I was happy,” Yifan began as you listened intently. “I have a pack of 12 brothers and I happen to be one of two alphas.”

“Two alphas?” you questioned, feeling a small twinge. “Do you have a mate?

“Oh no, it’s one of my brothers,” Yifan answered quickly, growing flustered. “His name is Junmyeon. We had our own packs when we both met, but we all bonded. We decided to merge our packs, knowing we’d be stronger against other wolves who tried to challenge us or invade our territory.”

“I feel like I still have so much to learn,” you admitted, interested in the group dynamics of a werewolf pack.

“I could explain it someday if you’re still interested,” Yifan offered.

“I’d like that,” you replied sincerely, but there was one last question that still bothered you.

“How did you get captured?”

Yifan frowned, wondering why you wanted to know, but answered nonetheless.

“Your father and his men captured me, remember?”

“I know, but you’re in a pack of twelve. You all could’ve taken them out with ease,” you reasoned. “There’s also the fact that you were caught near the village.”

“Your father and his men thought we were the pack that had been threatening the village,” Yifan explained, his frustration becoming evident. “Me and a few of my brothers went to hunt down a rival pack who had been encroaching on our land. They had been causing some trouble for us as well as for the people who lived in the village.”

Realization hit you hard, causing you to clench your jaw in slight anger. Yifan being captured turned out to be a mistake on the part of your father and his men. Even though you knew Yifan had a good head on his shoulders based on how long you’ve known him, this only proved to you that Yifan had nothing to do with the pack that had been harassing the villagers.

“So, what you’re telling me is that my father and his men mistaken you as a part of the wrong pack,” you concluded.

“Exactly,” Yifan responded, somewhat heatedly. “And it didn’t help that they were drunk and allowed for their hatred of wolves to get in the way of me hunting down those bastards.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you asked, wondering why he kept the secret from you.

“Why didn’t you ask?” Yifan snapped, stunning you into silence.

It felt terrible, knowing that you never took the time to ask him about that night. You were so focused on ridding the world of evil and saving others, that you never thought about Yifan’s feelings. You thought only of yourself. You tried to keep your emotions locked up from others which only caused you to put a wall between you and the person that you were now tied to.

“I’m sorry,” Yifan said sheepishly, feeling regretful about his behavior. “I didn’t mean to get upset.”

“No, you’re right,” you agreed, causing Yifan to furrow his brows. “I should’ve taken the time to ask you. I know it was a terrifying ordeal that you went through, but all I did was cast your feelings aside and throw myself into work so that I could make myself feel better.”

“Then let’s be more open with each other,” Yifan proposed, making you tilt your head. “Maybe it will help us to heal emotionally and better understand one another as people.”

“Alright then. Let’s do that,” you said, feeling more hopeful about your relationship with Yifan. “We’ll get through this and I’m going to find a way to free you, even if that’s the last thing I do.”

Yifan felt relief, knowing that things were getting better with you, but he knew freeing him would be a challenge for the two of you.

The next couple of weeks went by normally as you both continued to do your hunting, but you begin to notice how close you and Yifan were becoming. Yifan had a tendency of being physically close to you, no matter where you both were at the moment. He began to fuss over you when you trained until you were exhausted and forgot to eat or if you got somewhat reckless during a hunt out in the woods. It was certainly a change since he didn’t like to express his worries. As for you, you began to talk more with Yifan, showing great curiosity about his life as a werewolf. You always made an effort to make sure he was comfortable wherever he was and that he was content considering his situation. You also caught yourself more than once admiring him, realizing that he was now becoming attractive to you.

These actions were very subtle to those who choose to ignore you and Yifan, but it didn’t go unnoticed by Savion and Mace. Not liking the idea that you and Yifan were potentially falling for one another, they immediately took their concerns to your father. Your father was somewhat disturbed, seeing that he had also noticed how close you and Yifan had grown. Still, he knew that he as well as his men were the ones to blame for the predicament you both were in. Therefore, he dismissed the concerns as foolishness and told both men never to insinuate something like that again. Both Savion and Mace left your father’s presence after that, feeling nothing but utter contempt for you and Yifan.

They would find a way to destroy you both, even if it killed them.

~~~~~~

Spell books laid strewn across the floor of your quarters as you searched for a way to release Yifan from his collar. The two of you had borrowed books from your hideout’s spellcasting and enchantment room as well as from any magic shops that might have had them. Even though Yifan had very little hope of freeing himself, you were determined that you both would find something useful.

As you continued working on your research, you noticed that Yifan hadn’t been as focused as he was in the last few days. At first, you thought he had become disheartened since you both were finding very little information on the enchantment that you father created. Instead, he seemed more distracted by your presence, eyeing you often as he inhaled deeply.

Before you could question his behavior, Yifan got up and distanced himself away from you, pacing back and forth quickly. You furrowed your eyebrows, wondering what had gotten into him. Something about his behavior was off, causing you to contemplate if you did something wrong.

“Are you alright, Yifan?” you asked, slightly concerned by his anxious behavior. “Did you want to go out for a run?”

You received no answer, wondering if Yifan had chosen to ignore you. You knew he could hear you with no problem, so why didn’t he want to answer you? Getting up from your spot on the floor, you slowly made your way over to him.

“Yifan?” you called out, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder.

Before you could even blink, you felt yourself being hauled up by the hips and slammed swiftly into the nearest wall. Your sudden gasp of shock was silenced immediately as pair of warm lips crushed themselves against your own. Heat traveled rapidly through your veins as you felt hips roll themselves sensually between your legs. As soon as your brain registered what was happening, Yifan pulled away from your lips, staring you down fiercely with gold eyes.

Trying to catch your breath, you found yourself staring into those frightening eyes. Never have you seen Yifan look at you with such intensity and it made you feel absolutely vulnerable, but for some odd reason, you felt comforted knowing that he was expressing such an intimate side to himself.

Settling on what you would do next, you placed your lips once more against Yifan’s, causing him to continue the heated kiss. You moaned lowly as Yifan bucked his hips into yours once again, causing you to run your hands through his wild hair. Pulling back to nip your bottom lip, he began leaving a trail of kisses along your exposed neck.

It took everything in his power not to mark you as he decided to settle for leaving dark, possessive marks on your skin. He wanted you badly. He wanted to make you his. Never had he experienced these range of emotions for another wolf or human. You were his sanctuary in this heartless place where hunters viewed werewolves as nothing but a blight on the world. You defended him against your own people and you sacrificed your own dignity so that he could live to fight another day. You were courageous and empathetic and he was proud to view you as his equal.

Crying out softly, Yifan’s name escaped your lips, causing him to growl and face you once more.

“I think I’m going to need that run before I do something crazy…” Yifan reasoned, trying to regain some control over his impulses.

“That might not be a bad idea,” you responded breathlessly, leaning your forehead against his.

Both of you stayed like that for a couple more seconds, relishing each other’s warmth and presence. It was the first time in a long while where you actually felt safe and content with another person. It had been hard, living among the other hunters and feeling unwanted all because you wanted to do the right thing. Never did you think that a werewolf would be the one to make you feel these kind of emotions, but it felt right. Almost as if something had finally settled in your heart.

And that something happened to be Yifan.

After letting you down gently, you and Yifan adjusted your clothing and hair so that no one would question your disheveled appearance. It would create quite the problem at the hideout and you both weren’t eager to deal with it. As for your neck, you put on your cloak and placed the hood over your head to hide the purplish marks that decorated your skin. At least now, you wouldn’t be questioned by anyone.

Leaving your room, you and Yifan made your way down to the quiet entrance hall. Just as you and Yifan made your way down the main staircase, Savion, Mace and your father’s men entered the room. Loud and obnoxious cackles fill the hall, making you and Yifan grow uneasy. The group of drunken men picked the wrong time to show up.

“Look, there goes the brat and her mutt,” Mace announced loudly, causing Savion and the other men to laugh. They immediately stood in front of you and Yifan, blocking your path toward the exit.

“Hey dog,” Savion sneered as his lips curled in distaste. “Has your master been treating you well? Has she made sure to share some of her dirty kibbles and bits with you?”

Still heated from the time he had spent with you, Yifan growled, disgusted with Savion’s filthy insinuation. It was annoying when Savion and Mace insulted him, but nothing ticked him off like someone disrespecting you. Noticing how agitated the wolf was becoming, you placed a comforting hand on Yifan’s arm.

“He’s not worth your time, Yifan,” you reassured gently, not realizing how much you would set Savion off.

“Did this little girl just say I wasn’t worth a dog’s time?!” Savion yelled, causing the guards in the hallway to eye the irate man. “This bitch!”

“If anyone here is a bitch, it’s you,” you replied coldly. “You can’t even handle a simple insult.”

The sound of a loud smack resounded throughout the room, causing shock to reflect on the faces of everyone in the hall. Time stood still for several seconds while each person tried to register what just happened between you and Savion. Before you or the guards could react to what Savion had done, the sound of a thunderous snarl following the sickening snap of a bone reverberated in everyone’s ears.

The entrance hall had suddenly been thrown into an uproar as Savion screamed out in pain. Swords and crossbows had been drawn on all sides and other hunters came running in, alarmed by the commotion they had heard. Soon enough your father had made his appearance.

“What on earth is going on?!” your father questioned, distressed by the drawn weapons.

“This animal just broke my arm!” Savion wailed as Mace held him.

“That’s because you put your filthy hands on her,” Yifan spat, no longer hiding his rage. “I’m tired of you bastards treating her like shit. All she ever does is fight for this godforsaken hellhole and all you do is return your gratitude by spiting at her feet. None of you deserve her!”

“I need you all to calm down and lower your weapons,” you father responded, trying to maintain some kind of peace. Begrudgingly, everyone lowered their weapons, but the horrid tension remained in the room.

“She needs to go,” Mace spoke, breaking the silence. “She is destroying our reputation as hunters and she is a stain on this clan.”

“Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you,” your father threatened, causing Mace to shrink back in terror. Turning his eyes towards Savion, your father made his way towards the injured man.

“Did you put your hand on my daughter?”

“Your daughter was the one who insulted me!” Savion responded, trying to place all the blame on you. “She lacks respect and it’s about time someone taught her some. We no longer want her here. She should have never been allowed to free those savage beasts without any consequences.”

Your father was about to put Savion in his place, but you cut him off heatedly.

“Fine then!” you screamed, no longer willing to put up with the abuse. “You’ll get your stupid wish. I’m not going to tolerate this from you or any other hunter any longer. If me trying to do the right thing is such a problem for you, we’ll leave.”

Grabbing Yifan’s hand, you started towards the stairs to reach your quarters. Before you could get any farther, you father grabbed your arm gently.

“Y/N, please don’t go,” your father pleaded, knowing that he had potentially destroyed whatever remained of your relationship. “Let me make this right.”

“It’s too late, Father,” you said as you shook your head. “The only person that was willing to make anything right in my life was Yifan.”

Releasing his grasp on your arm, your father let you go knowing that he would never see you again. He had put this burden on you and now he would be the one to pay for it.

Grabbing a bag, you and Yifan loaded it up with things that you both would need on your journey. You were hurt that you had to leave the place that had been your home for years, but there was no point in staying anymore. You loved Yifan, just as he had loved you and you were willing to leave if it meant having a better life for the two of you.

“Let’s find my pack,” Yifan proposed, stopping you momentarily.

“What if they don’t accept me?” you asked, showing a hint of nervousness. “I kill werewolves.”

“They will,” Yifan smiled, lifting his hand to caress your cheek. “After they hear what I have to say, they’ll understand.”

Trusting him fully, you kissed him softly before continuing to pack your things. Once you had finished, you and Yifan headed back down to the entrance hall, surprised to find your father and some other hunters still waiting there.

“Are you going to stop us?” you asked as you walked closer to your father.

“No,” came his only reply. “You’re both free to go.”

Without saying another word, you and Yifan rushed passed him, wanting to leave the place as soon as possible. As you walked by, you noticed that some of the guards were whispering. Apparently, your father planned to deal with Savion and Mace after they returned from the infirmary.

~~~~~~

Your father sat in his studies with three of his guards as he waited for Savion and Mace. It had been twenty minutes since you and Yifan had walked into the night and he felt nothing but grief in heart. He should’ve listened to you and made a conscious effort to understand why you spared the very wolves you should have killed. Blindly following the rules of the clan and letting hatred for werewolves consume him led to the loss of his only child. If he couldn’t bring you back, he’d make sure to do right by you and punish the two men who claimed to be his loyal followers.

Several more minutes went by, but Savion and Mace still hadn’t show up at his studies. Your father knew that something was absolutely wrong and got up immediately from his chair in order to search for Savion and Mace with his guards.

~~~~~~

You and Yifan slowly made your way through the chilly forest, searching for a nearby village or town where you could both spend the night. You were currently upset, not only because you were ousted from your home, but because you weren’t successful in getting the spell from your father to free Yifan. You both were so focused on leaving the hideout, that you didn’t even attempt to ask your father for it.

Regardless of that problem, you were happy that you and Yifan were finally free. No longer did the two of you have to face any scrutiny for being who you were and for the things that you both had done.

Sensing your mix emotions, Yifan squeezed your hand, causing you to turn and smile at him. He stopped momentarily to bring you into a hug which you quickly melted into.

“I’ll take care of you,” Yifan promised, placing a kiss on your forehead. “I’ll make sure no one ever hurts you again.”

“I should be telling you that,” you countered, causing a small chuckle to leave the wolf’s mouth.

You felt Yifan’s body stiffen abruptly as he began sniffing the air. Providing what you could see of his face in the dull moonlight, you saw panic cover Yifan’s face. You were about to ask him what had him worried until you heard the faint rumbling of hooves heading toward you.

“Dammit, it’s Savion and Mace,” Yifan cursed, immediately taking a protective stance in front of you, “They have some of your father’s men with them.”

“We’re going to have to fight,” you said shakily, although you began pulling out your crossbow, “We have to make this out alive.”

“Don’t worry,” Yifan responded as his bones began to crack and reshape themselves, “I’m going to fulfill my promise to you.”

The faint moonlight revealed a gang of ten men as they sped past the trees on their steeds. The shadows of the trees danced over their faces, making them appear like monsters from your worst nightmare. As the men grew closer, you noticed Savion and Mace heading straight for you. Their dark eyes flashed with absolute disdain, wanting nothing more than to trampled you under their horse’s hooves.

As you aimed your crossbow for one of the horses, Yifan’s massive form ran past you towards two men. Lunging himself at them, he slammed himself forcefully into both hunters, causing them to fly off their horses. As he landed on the ground, another hunter fired two silver bolts, striking him in his arm and thigh. Yifan yelped loudly as the metal burned themselves into his flesh. He immediately pulled out the bolts and tossed them aside before charging towards the now fearful hunter.

You fired a bolt at the horse that Mace and Savion were riding on. Mace dodged the bolt with ease as Savion brandished a sword with his uninjured limb, which unfortunately happened to be the arm he fought best with. Getting ready to swing his sword at your head, you quickly ran out of the way, successfully missing the blade. Before you could fire your bolt at their back, you felt a sharp pain radiate across your arm.

Dropping your crossbow and turning around sharply, you barely had the time to dodge another swing as one of your father’s men attempted to cut you down. You pulled out your sword from its sheathe and swung at the man who then blocked your hit. Delivering a hard kick to the hunter’s leg, he cried out in pain which then gave you the opportunity to land a harsh punch to his face. The man stumbled to the side, allowing you to swing your weapon horizontally and deliver a fatal blow.

Blood dripped down your injured arm, making the handle of the sword somewhat difficult to grip. Turning your attention back to Savion and Mace, you noticed that both men had gotten off their horse. Mace armed himself with his crossbow and Savion bared his sword. Both men were extremely talented with their weapons of choice and you knew taking them both on by yourself would be a deadly struggle.

Finding himself surrounded by four bloodthirsty men, Yifan carefully watched them for any signs of weaknesses. He was in a lot of pain from the additional metal bolts that struck his body during the ambush, but the smell of your blood made him determined to keep fighting. Standing firm with swords drawn, the hunters gauged him for any shifts in movement.

Without giving the hunters a moment to react, Yifan ran toward the man on his right, bringing a clawed hand across his face and neck. When that man had fallen, the three others went to attack Yifan. Moving at an inhumane speed, Yifan turned towards another hunter and swiftly smacked his sword out of his hand. The man went to flee since he had found himself defenseless, but Yifan immediately pounced on his back and tore at his jugular with his large teeth.

Before Yifan could take on the last two men, he heard you cry out. A silver bolt from Mace’s crossbow pierced your already injured arm, causing you excruciating pain. Taking advantage of this distraction, one of the men brought his blade across Yifan’s back. A strangled howl left Yifan’s chest, causing him to stumble forward. Swiftly grabbing the man who had attacked him, Yifan tightening his hold on the man’s neck until it snapped awkwardly to the side. Satisfied with the man’s death, he threw the man’s body at the last hunter, knocking him over.

Yifan shifted his attentions back to you, Savion, and Mace, but found the three of you missing. Knowing that you wouldn’t win a fight against Savion’s blade while trying to dodge Mace’s bolts, Yifan took to all fours and chased after the three of you.

You hid yourself behind a tree, narrowly missing another bolt that landed in the bark of the tree. Savion and Mace smirked maliciously, enjoying how you ran like a scared cat. They were finally getting what they wanted and your father wasn’t there to help you or the werewolf. This would be the night where you and Yifan would die and they planned to see it through.

You felt exhausted. You were losing blood and you had no idea where Yifan was or if he was safe. You heard Savion and Mace’s footsteps approaching, their boots crushing the dead leaves below. You wanted so badly to put up some kind of fight, but your arm was useless. You weren’t good at handling a sword with one arm like Savion. The only thing you could do at this point was distract both men and pray that Yifan would find you.

“Please…please allow me to speak before I die,” you pleaded, hoping that both men would grant your request.

“And why should we do that?” Mace sneered, still aiming his crossbow at the tree where you hid.

“Because every person deserves to say their last words,” you answered, wanting them to take your bait.

“Come out then and beg for your life,” Savion grinned, wondering what pathetic words would leave your mouth. You came out from your hiding spot and stood out in the open for the two men to see.

“This is cruel, Savion and Mace!” you shouted, praying that the men would at least stop to listen. “Yifan and I left like you wanted, so why are you hunting us down?”

“We decided that allowing you to leave was too good for you and your beast,” Savion explained nonchalantly. “Your father never punished you thoroughly for your actions, so we decided to take justice into our own hands.”

“And exactly what was it that I did that hurt the two of you?” you asked, with genuine concern.

“Don’t play stupid, Y/N!” Mace exclaimed as his voice echoed throughout the black forest. “You brought disgrace to us! You violated everything our clan stood for, all because you couldn’t find it in your heart to kill these animals.”

“Can you imagine the amount of people you got killed because you freed those beasts?” Savion added. “And your father never punished you for it because you were his daughter. If it had been any other hunter, your father would have punished them severely.”

“But you know what I find to be the most disgusting thing about you?” Mace questioned, looking at you with all the hatred in the world. “You fell in love with a monster. I can’t even begin to imagine the abomination you’d create if that wolf decided to plant his seed in your womb.”

You watched both men scowl as their eyes shifted to something behind you. Golden eyes peered through the darkness as a large silhouette hovered over your smaller frame. You hadn’t heard anything approaching you from behind, but the vicious snarl and heavy puffs of air that tickled the hairs on your neck suddenly brought you great relief.

Yifan had found you.

“I’m sorry that I angered you, Savion, and even my father,” you admitted, feeling sorry that you had hurt them emotionally, “but I won’t apologize for my actions.”

Both men scoffed loudly, clenching their weapons tightly out of unbridled rage. They couldn’t believe that you still clung true to your beliefs, even when facing death.

“I’ll never apologizing for sparing those wolves and I certainly won’t apologize for loving Yifan. You brought him to me as a joke, as a way to humiliated and put me down, but Yifan was actually a blessing in disguise,” you stated honestly, causing the wolf behind you to whine in adoration of your words. “Yifan reaffirmed my belief that werewolves are capable of doing good. He fought by my side and helped me to kill the wolves who actually harmed people. He stood by me because we believed in making the world a place where we could live peacefully. Lastly, he supported me because he knew I wanted to help my clan, even when they had turned their backs on me. Nonetheless, there is one last major thing that Yifan has confirmed for me.”

“And what the hell would that be?” Mace spat angrily.

“That vile and dishonorable men like you and Savion are truly what we consider a disease to every living creature and that even the most violent wolf looks tame compared to the two of you. You proved to me that men can be monsters too.”

No longer wanting to hear the cutting truth spill from your lips, Mace quickly aimed the crossbow at your head. You stood your ground, daring Mace to try and kill you unless he and Savion planned to be torn apart by Yifan.

Mace readied himself to pull the trigger as Savion yelled for him to end your life, but he never succeeded after a bolt ripped itself through his skull. Savion gasped, alarmed by the sudden change in events. He turned around swiftly to see who caused his friend to lie dead on the forest floor.

Your father sat upon his horse with several hunters behind him. The look on his face was undeniably startling, but it was not directed towards you or Yifan. You were more than surprised that your father had come to your rescue, but Yifan had known that he was there.

When Yifan searched for you, he came across your father and his men who were also trying to locate you. Seeing Yifan in his wolf form had alarmed the men, but when he had whined softly, your father knew that there had been trouble. Silently agreeing that it would be best to work together, your father and his men followed Yifan’s lead as he tracked down your scent.

“S-sir, I can explain…” Savion stuttered, addressing your father in a formal manner that you hadn’t heard in ages.

“I allowed my daughter to leave peacefully and yet here you are, attempting to kill my child,” you father said unnervingly as you and Yifan watched the scene unfold.

“But Mace and I were only trying to do our duty as hunters so that we could correct your daughter’s wrongdoings,” Savion explained. “It was a mistake to give her that beast.”

“The only mistake here was allowing you to cloud my judgment and use my hatred to turn me against my daughter when all she ever tried to do was protect us,” your father countered before turning his attention to you and Yifan.

“I apologize for the trouble that I have caused for the both of you,” your father said somberly. “I have a lot to think about and although I cannot change what I have done, I’m now choosing to do what is right and expected of me as a leader.”

“Thank you, Father…” you replied, feeling an odd tightness in your chest. You remained silent afterwards, not knowing what else to say.

“No, thank you for being a shining example to the clan when I had failed it,” your father said, expressing his gratitude before looking at Yifan. “And I thank you Yifan for protecting and loving my daughter when I failed her as a father.”

Yifan gave a curt nod of his head, accepting your father’s apology for what he had done.

“I will deal with Savion and allow you both to continue on your journey,” your father continued as his men got off their horses to arrest Savion, who in return pleaded for mercy. “Before you go, I want to give you the spell that releases Yifan from his bonds as well as some supplies to aid you both.”

Nodding your head in understanding, your father articulated the spell for you so that you could free Yifan. Wasting no time, you repeated the words, causing the purple runes on the collar to glow. Yifan pulled off the piece of metal and tossed it aside, leaving it to be forsaken. Shaking his massive head, the wolf felt instant relief from his confines. He nuzzled the side of your face with his snout to show his appreciation.

“Be safe, Y/N,” your father said as one of his men handed you the bag of supplies. “I hope that someday, I will see you and Yifan again.”

“I hope so too,” you replied, hoping for a new beginning with your father.

Being mindful of your injury, Yifan gently scooped you up into his arms and shifted you around to make sure you were set comfortably. Tiredly, you looked up at the werewolf that you had grown to love, wondering how you became so lucky to have him in your life. Staring back, Yifan licked your cheek lightly to show you that everything would be fine. Disappearing between the trees and into the shadows, you and Yifan journeyed into a new life of freedom, hoping that you both would find his lost pack of brothers.

You and Yifan had known that there was darkness in the hearts of men during times of trouble and grief, but you both knew that it was also possible to find light in the hearts of monsters during times of sympathy and compassion.


End file.
